Cardinality of the set of all real functions of real variable

How does one compute the cardinality of the set of functions $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ (not necessarily continuous)?

All you need is a few basics of cardinal arithmetic: if $\kappa$ and $\lambda$ are cardinals, none of them zero, and at least one of them is infinite, then $\kappa+\lambda = \kappa\lambda = \max\{\kappa,\lambda\}$. And cardinal exponentiation satisfies some of the same laws as regular exponentiation; in particular, $(\kappa^{\lambda})^{\nu} = \kappa^{\lambda\nu}$.

The cardinality of the set of all real functions is then $$|\mathbb{R}|^{|\mathbb{R}|} =\mathfrak{c}^{\mathfrak{c}} = (2^{\aleph_0})^{2^{\aleph_0}} = 2^{\aleph_02^{\aleph_0}} = 2^{2^{\aleph_0}} = 2^{\mathfrak{c}}.$$ In other words, it is equal to the cardinality of the power set of $\mathbb{R}$.

With a few extra facts, you can get more. In general, if $\kappa$ is an infinite cardinal, and $2\leq\lambda\leq\kappa$, then $\lambda^{\kappa}=2^{\kappa}$. This follows because: $$2^{\kappa} \leq \lambda^{\kappa} \leq (2^{\lambda})^{\kappa} = 2^{\lambda\kappa} = 2^{\kappa},$$ so you get equality throughout. The extra information you need for this is to know that if $\kappa$, $\lambda$, and $\nu$ are nonzero cardinals, $\kappa\leq\lambda$, then $\kappa^{\nu}\leq \lambda^{\nu}$.

In particular, for any infinite cardinal $\kappa$ you have $\kappa^{\kappa} = 2^{\kappa}$.

I guess that you know that $|\mathbb{N}| = |\mathbb{N}\times\mathbb{N}|$ and thus $|\mathbb{R}| = |2^{\mathbb{N}}| = |2^{\mathbb{N}\times\mathbb{N}}| = |2^\mathbb{N}\times 2^\mathbb{N}| = |\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R}|$

This means that $|P(\mathbb{R})| = |P(\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R})|$. Since $f\colon\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ is an element of $P(\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R})$ you have that $\mathbb{R}^\mathbb{R}$ (all the functions from $\mathbb{R}$ to itself) is of cardinality less or equal to the one of $P(\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R})$ which in turn means that $|\mathbb{R}^\mathbb{R}|\le |P(\mathbb{R})|$.

Now, since $|P(\mathbb{R})| = |2^\mathbb{R}|$ which is the set of all functions from $\mathbb{R}$ to $\{0,1\}$, and clearly every function from $\mathbb{R}$ into $\{0,1\}$ is in particular a function from $\mathbb{R}$ into itself, we have: $$|P(\mathbb{R})| = |2^\mathbb{R}| \le |\mathbb{R}^\mathbb{R}| \le |P(\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R})| = |P(\mathbb{R})|$$

So all in all we have that $|\mathbb{R}^\mathbb{R}| = |P(\mathbb{R})| = |2^\mathbb{R}|$.