1. A method performed by a vector-based digital signal processor for evaluating a non-linear x K function for an input vector, x, said method comprising: obtaining one or more x K software instructions that implement said non-linear x K function; receiving said input vector comprising at least two scalar numbers and K; in response to a predefined software instruction keyword for said at least one of said obtained x K software instructions, invoking at least one hardware functional unit that implements said one or more x K software instructions to perform the following steps for each component of said input vector, wherein said vector-based processor processes said at least two scalar numbers of said input vector substantially simultaneously; computing Log(x) in hardware; multiplying said Log(x) value by K; and determining said x K function by applying an exponential function in hardware to a result of said multiplying step, wherein one or more of said computation of Log(x) and said exponential function employ at least one look-up table having entries with a fewer number of bits than a number of bits in the input vector, x, wherein said one or more x K software instructions that implement said non-linear x K function is part of an instruction set of said vector-based digital signal processor and wherein said non-linear x K function computes a K th power of said input vector, x.