Thanks SamGwilliam -- I was able to get my computer to exponentiate, using the information you provided in your example. I did, however, as I had before, have to say something like...
float a;
a = 4.55;
to it, rather than telling it...
float a = 4.55;
-- because this sort of declaration caused it to respond with "Error blah blah blah."
Perhaps this is correct syntax in another compiler, but Borland Turbo C 2.01 (circa 1989) didn't like it.
