A calculation is a deliberate
mathematical
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
process that transforms a plurality of inputs into a singular or plurality of outputs, known also as a result or results. The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite
arithmetic
Arithmetic is an elementary branch of mathematics that deals with numerical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In a wider sense, it also includes exponentiation, extraction of roots, and taking logarithms.
...
al calculation of using an
algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of Rigour#Mathematics, mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific Computational problem, problems or to perform a computation. Algo ...
, to the vague
heuristics of calculating a strategy in a competition, or calculating the chance of a successful relationship between two people.
For example,
multiplying 7 by 6 is a simple algorithmic calculation. Extracting the
square root
In mathematics, a square root of a number is a number such that y^2 = x; in other words, a number whose ''square'' (the result of multiplying the number by itself, or y \cdot y) is . For example, 4 and −4 are square roots of 16 because 4 ...
or the
cube root of a number using mathematical models is a more complex algorithmic calculation.
Statistical estimations of the likely election results from opinion polls also involve algorithmic calculations, but produces ranges of possibilities rather than exact answers.
To ''calculate'' means to determine mathematically in the case of a number or amount, or in the case of an abstract problem to deduce the answer using
logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
,
reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
or
common sense.
The English word derives from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, which originally meant a
pebble (from Latin ), for instance the small stones used as a counters on an
abacus
An abacus ( abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a hand-operated calculating tool which was used from ancient times in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia, until the adoption of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system. A ...
(, ). The abacus was an instrument used by Greeks and Romans for arithmetic calculations, preceding the
slide-rule and the
electronic calculator, and consisted of perforated pebbles sliding on iron bars.
See also
*
Calculus (disambiguation) — list of general methods of calculation by application area
*
Complexity class
In computational complexity theory, a complexity class is a set (mathematics), set of computational problems "of related resource-based computational complexity, complexity". The two most commonly analyzed resources are time complexity, time and s ...
— theoretical notion to categorize calculability
*
Cost accounting — business application of calculation
*
List of algorithms
An algorithm is fundamentally a set of rules or defined procedures that is typically designed and used to solve a specific problem or a broad set of problems.
Broadly, algorithms define process(es), sets of rules, or methodologies that are to be f ...
— fully formalized, computer-executable methods of calculation
*
Mental calculation — performing arithmetics using one's brain only
References
External links
"The Lifting of the Veil in the Operations of Calculation"is a manuscript, from the 18th-century, in Arabic, by
Ibn al-Banna' al-Marrakushi, about calculation processes
{{Authority control
Elementary arithmetic
Information