What do adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing do for

by mrsinclair Jan 31, 2010 6:20AM PST

What do adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing do for a computer? Or, how does a computer use them?
I know the calculator application uses them, but I think that a computer also uses them for general operation. Am I right? Does a computer use math to run a program; save something; boot an operating system? And if it does, do you know how?

Could you give me some specific examples of how it would be used. So let's say there is an algorithm for saving a document, how does math factor into this command? Or does it? I know the actual text in the program contains no math but does the computer use math somehow to carry out the command?
I'm not sure if that is terribly clear, I really want to know how math is used, not just that it is.

Does anyone have a specific example? Does anyone have an example of where the comp. uses one, or more, of the arithmetic operations to complete a task?

Discussion is locked

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Yes, there are advanced mathematics in computers.

by Dango517 Jan 31, 2010 7:38PM PST

Loads of it in fact. Start with binary code and work up from there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_computing

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What do adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing do for a computer?

by mrsinclair Feb 1, 2010 2:09AM PST

Thanks for the reply and that's really helpful. I wonder if anyone could tell me one operation a computer performs in an average pc's day and the math that is involved.

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Computer Math..

by Brechan Feb 6, 2010 11:55PM PST

here is an introduction of how a computer uses math do to calculations, and what the calculations actually are used for.
http://www.communitymx.com/content/article.cfm?cid=D8C26

the article is called 'Computer Math 0101"

Hope this helps

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Computer Math..

by mrsinclair Feb 7, 2010 3:35AM PST

Thank you for you help.

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I don't think computers do math that way

by Steven Haninger Feb 1, 2010 9:06AM PST

They just follow a programs instructions. If you want a computer to add 2 and 2 and come up with an answer of 4, you write a program with the instructions to do that. They can't do that on their own.

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They can't do that on their own...

by Brechan Feb 7, 2010 5:53AM PST

Computers use binary code for every calculation, every click of the mouse, everything that you do on your computer is calculated by your O/S using binary code. It's all explained in the article I attached to my previous post.

What do adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing do for

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