Return Value from Function in R (With Examples)

You can use the following methods to return one or more values from a function in R:

Method 1: Return One Value

my_function <- function(A, B) {
  C <- A * B
  return(C)
}

Method 2: Return Multiple Values

my_function <- function(A, B) {
  C <- A * B
  D <- A + B
  E <- A - B
  return(list(C, D, E))
}

The following examples show how to use each method in practice.

Example 1: Return One Value from Function in R

The following code shows how to create a function that returns one value:

#define function that returns one value
multiply_values <- function(A, B) {
  C <- A * B
  return(C)
}

#use function
multiply_values(10, 3)

[1] 30

Notice that the function returns one value: the product of 10 and 3.

Example 2: Return Multiple Values from Function in R

The following code shows how to create a function that returns multiple values:

math_stuff <- function(A, B) {
  C <- A * B
  D <- A + B
  E <- A - B
  return(list(C, D, E))
}

#use function
math_stuff(10, 3)

[[1]]
[1] 30

[[2]]
[1] 13

[[3]]
[1] 7

The function returns three values:

• The first value is 10 * 3 = 30
• The second value is 10 + 3 = 13
• The third value is 10 – 3 = 7

Note: In this particular example, we returned three values but you can use similar syntax to return as many values as you’d like using the return() argument.

Additional Resources