diff --git a/bezier3.cpp b/bezier3.cpp
index 3e174f2c..0d6bc9ca 100644
--- a/bezier3.cpp
+++ b/bezier3.cpp
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ namespace util {
         CHECK_GE (t, 0.f);
         CHECK_LE (t, 1.f);
 
-        auto v0 =     pow  (1 - t, 3u) * m_points[0];
-        auto v1 = 3 * pow2 (1 - t) * t * m_points[1];
-        auto v2 = 3 * pow2 (1 - t) * t * m_points[2];
-        auto v3 =     pow  (t,     3u) * m_points[3];
+        auto v0 =     pow (1 - t, 3u) * m_points[0];
+        auto v1 = 3 * pow (1 - t, 2u) * t * m_points[1];
+        auto v2 = 3 * pow (1 - t, 2u) * t * m_points[2];
+        auto v3 =     pow (t,     3u) * m_points[3];
 
         return {
             v0.x + v1.x + v2.x + v3.x,
diff --git a/maths.hpp b/maths.hpp
index 269bee1d..68c6898d 100644
--- a/maths.hpp
+++ b/maths.hpp
@@ -207,16 +207,6 @@ namespace util {
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // exponentials
-
-    template <typename T>
-    constexpr T
-    pow2  [[gnu::const]] (T value)
-    {
-        return value * value;
-    }
-
-
-    ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     template <
         typename BaseT,
         typename ExponentT,
@@ -229,7 +219,12 @@ namespace util {
     pow [[gnu::const]] (BaseT base, ExponentT exponent)
     {
         assert (exponent >= 0);
-        return exponent == 0 ? BaseT{1} : base * pow (base, exponent - 1);
+
+        if (exponent == 1)
+            return base;
+        if (exponent == 0)
+            return BaseT{1};
+        return base * pow (base, exponent - 1);
     }
 
 
diff --git a/point.hpp b/point.hpp
index c919afc5..d6568cdb 100644
--- a/point.hpp
+++ b/point.hpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ namespace util {
     constexpr typename std::common_type<T,U>::type
     distance2 (point<S,T> a, point<S,U> b)
     {
-        return sum (pow2 (a - b));
+        return sum (pow (a - b, 2));
     }
 
     /// computes the octile distance between two points. that is, the shortest
diff --git a/polynomial.cpp b/polynomial.cpp
index 6d8ea501..95612705 100644
--- a/polynomial.cpp
+++ b/polynomial.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ namespace util::polynomial {
             return { s[0], std::numeric_limits<float>::quiet_NaN () };
         }
 
-        auto descriminator = std::sqrt (pow2 (b) - 4 * a * c);
+        auto descriminator = std::sqrt (pow (b,2) - 4 * a * c);
         return {
             (-b - descriminator) / (2 * a),
             (-b + descriminator) / (2 * a)
diff --git a/rand/lcg.cpp b/rand/lcg.cpp
index c531c301..382dcefe 100644
--- a/rand/lcg.cpp
+++ b/rand/lcg.cpp
@@ -87,5 +87,5 @@ lcg<T,M,A,C>::discard (unsigned count)
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-template struct util::rand::lcg<uint32_t, util::pow2(31), 1103515245, 12345>;
+template struct util::rand::lcg<uint32_t, util::pow(31,2), 1103515245, 12345>;
 template struct util::rand::lcg<uint64_t, 0ul, 6364136223846793005ul, 1ul>;
diff --git a/test/maths.cpp b/test/maths.cpp
index b2e22cbf..7f8485f7 100644
--- a/test/maths.cpp
+++ b/test/maths.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ main (void)
     tap.expect_eq (util::digits10( 1), 1, "digits10, 1");
     tap.expect_eq (util::digits10(10), 2, "digits10, 10");
 
-    tap.expect_eq (util::pow2 (4u), 16u, "pow2");
+    tap.expect_eq (util::pow (4u,2), 16u, "pow2");
 
     static const float POS_ZERO =  1.f / numeric_limits<float>::infinity ();