What is Calculation: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A calculation is a deliberate process that transforms one or more inputs into one or more results. The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite arithmetical calculation of using an algorithm, 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. Estimating the fair price for financial instruments using the Black–Scholes model 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, reason or common sense. The English word derives from the Latin calculus, which originally meant a small stone in the gall-bladder (from Latin calx). It also meant a pebble used for calculating, or a small stone used as a counter in an abacus (Latin abacus, Greek abax). 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.

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  1. hquang001

    Finding I3: Resistance Ratio Calculation

    Should it be I3 = \frac{(R2+R4)}{(R2+R4) +R3} I or I3 = \frac{R2}{R2 +R3} I
  2. Haorong Wu

    Mathematica Looking for packages for tensor calculation in Mathematica

    Hello. I am doing tensor calculation with indices, such as contraction, lowering or raising indices, tensor production, etc. I have tried the Ricci.m from https://sites.math.washington.edu/~lee/Ricci/ However, maybe because the package has not been upgraded for some time, I could not get the...
  3. robphy

    Insights The Electric Field Seen by an Observer: A Relativistic Calculation with Tensors

    Continue reading...
  4. DanjoJojo

    Getting Started with LMC Simulator for 3-Digit 10's Complement Calculation

    Summary:: So I'm trying to get more advanced with the lmc simulator, https://www.101computing.net/LMC/ But it's kind of hard to understand and keep track when it gets long. Provide an LMC program that will provide a value in three digits ten's complement. The program will take two inputs, a...
  5. H

    Finding My Calculation Error: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    My calculation is as attached. Where am I wrong?
  6. MathematicalPhysicist

    A Calculation in Perturbative QCD by Muller

    First let's define as on page 13 of the book the perturbative coefficients of the hard scattering cross section ##H_{ab}## by: $$(22) \ \ \ \ H_{ab}=H_{ab}^{0}+\frac{\alpha_s}{\pi}H_{ab}^{(1)}+\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s^2)$$ Now, on page 16 it's written that the RG equation for ##H_{ab}## is: $$(31)...
  7. PhysicsTest

    Understanding Inductor Behavior When Transistors Are Off

    a. When the transistors are ON. ##V_{CC} = V_L## ##V_{CC} = L \frac{di_L} {dt} ## ##i_L = \frac{V_{CC}t} L ## b. I am bit confused when the transistor is "OFF" The point "A" is floating? The transistors and the diodes all the elements seem to be open is it correct? I am confused here.
  8. icesalmon

    Engineering Calculation of the Transconductance for a MOSFET

    This problem was included as an exercise for a section on the small signal equivalent circuit for a MOSFET under the body effect. The problem states ##λ =0## so I believe the Early effect is negligible and ro = 0. I don't see how the body effect would be negated so for part (b). I believe the...
  9. F

    How to draw trajectories of stress lines without calculation

    as title
  10. V

    I Combination or Permutation Calculation

    Hello Forum: I have numbers 1 through 6 from which i must select 4 items. The twist is that i need to count only those subsets that include the number 2 all of the subsets are 'distinct' --> 2145 is the same as 2415. My quick calculation yields 15 distinct subsets however some of those do...
  11. H

    Resistance calculation -- Comparing coax cable insulator resistances

    Since both cylinders have the same material, this implies the density is the same. Length is also the same based on the question. We only need to compare the radii for resistance. R2 = pi ((2b)^2 - (2a)^2) R1 = pi (b^2 - a^2) R2/R1 = 4, so my answer is C. But, the given answer is A. Where did I...
  12. A

    Engineering Calculation of the reaction forces on a welded joint

    Here is my solution I just need it to be confirmed Many thanks in advance!
  13. R

    Engineering Thermal expansion coefficient calculation — where is my mistake?

    Hello everyone, Once I got through the VDW state equation I came to the expression of the thermal expansion coefficient. When I place the values I get an illogical answer. Is there a problem with the units? (Please ignore the values) Thanks. This is the unit equation I get to and get stuck:
  14. swiper122

    Fluid dynamics calculation -- Draining a barrel through a pipe

    v1- velocity of water at the top of the barrel v2- velocity of water at the the pipe (bottom of cylinder) p + (⍴ *(v1)^2)/2 + ⍴gh=p + (⍴ *(v2)^2)/2 + ⍴gh atmosferic pressure cancels out (⍴ *(v1)^2)/2 + ⍴gh = (⍴ *(v2)^2)/2 + ⍴gh density doesn't affect the result(cause its in every term)...
  15. ope0409

    Transformer load reading calculation

    I need help to get the percentage current loading on this transformer with the following parameters transformer size is 500KVA Primary voltage is 11KV Secondary voltage is 415v power factor is 0.8 current in Red phase is 315A Current in yellow phase is 302A Current in blue phase is 317A Neutral...
  16. F

    Annihilation: calculation of photon energies

    I set up this problem this way: ##p_a^{\mu}=(E, \sqrt{E^2-m^2}, 0, 0)## ##p_b^{\mu}=(m, 0, 0, 0)## ##p_c^{\mu}=(2E_\gamma, 2E_\gamma, 0, 0)## I have chosen to consider the two photons as a single particle of energy equal to ##2E_\gamma##. At this point I applied conservation of the...
  17. sandmanvgc

    (Dry) Volume Ideal Gas Law Calculation

    If the question was asking for (dry) volume, how would you do that?
  18. M

    Transistor base voltage calculation

    Hello, I am trying to find base voltage. In attached picture (using Multisim) there are two separate circuits. Here is how I am doing the voltage divider: Circuit on right: Vb = (Vcc - .7)*R6/(R6 + R5) = 3.2V which matches Multisim result. No problem here. Circuit on left: Vb = (Vcc -...
  19. I

    A What is the packet speed in the discrete case?

    I've been struggling with the problem below for some time. It is not a homework. A simple bubble S is a spherical surface that expands with constant speed c. A vector bubble V also expands with the same constant speed c. There is a 3d vector associated with a V. If two S bubbles touch, they...
  20. Y

    Torque calculation for a new loading mechanism

    I'm designing loading mechanism of new machine and need to know what the torque will be. Here is the sketch of my mechanism. Distance from centre of shaft to the top of loading table is 200mm. Distance from the centre of mass of workpiece to centre of the shaft 50 mm. Max load is 400 kg. Weight...
  21. M

    Optimum replacement policy calculation

    Hi, I have a question about doing these types of optimum replacement problems. Question: A laboratory owns a group of special microscopes and it has been agreed that a replacement policy should be established. Using the data below and a discount rate of 10%, find the optimum replacement period...
  22. fluidistic

    Permanent magnet's magnetic field calculation

    Hello people, in a near future I'd like to calculate (numerically, with finite elements) the magnetic field of several permanent magnets of various shapes. I am wondering which equation(s) I should solve, exactly. It's been a long time I dived into an EM textbook and I don't have one in hand...
  23. Arman777

    Unexpected result in the numerical calculation - (invalid value encountered)

    from numpy import log as ln z = 3 k = 2 x = 1 - ln(1 + z) / ln(1 + k) y = 1/5 print("The x=", x) Q = x**y print(Q) The result is The x= -0.26185950714291484 c:\Users\-\Desktop\... RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in double_scalars Q =...
  24. P

    A Green's function calculation of an infinite lattice with periodicity in 1D

    I am currently trying to compute the Green's function matrix of an infinite lattice with a periodicity in 1 dimension in the tight binding model. I have matrix ##V## that describes the hopping of electrons within each unit cell, and a matrix ##W## that describes the hopping between unit cells...
  25. pipeguy

    A Stress point calculation some practical help

    https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/273785 What are the possible materials (beams, H-profiles) etc that can be used to withstand the pressure of the whole system if there are 12 tonnes of wheat in the pipe at all times? How you would make this system work? There always has to be an angle...
  26. T

    Average Kinetic Energy of molecules calculation

    the answer in the solution book is 29K which only comes if I use mass for only one atom. ( They did not show any working ) My attempt: 1/2 x (1.67 x 10^(-27)) x (355)^(2) = 3/2 x 1.38 x 10^(-23) x T T = 29.48820652 K The confusion arises when I tried the following question: Q. Estimate the...
  27. T

    Nuclear fission calculation of energy released

    Summary:: Calculate the amount of energy in joules generated from 2 kg of uranium fuel if the uranium 235 represents 0.7% of the metal and every fission releases 200 MeV. Hi! I am stuck in this question from my exercise book : Q. Calculate the amount of energy in joules generated from 2 kg...
  28. P

    Calculation of time taken for a motor to rotate an object 360 degrees

    How would I go about calculating the time taken for the motor on page 2 to move the attached beam 360 degrees? Things such as the rpm and voltage are given in the attached data sheet for various different motors and you can reference anyone you like. I'm more interested in understanding what's...
  29. PhysicsTest

    Power Calculation of general electric circuit

    I am trying to calculate the power calculation of a general circuit with voltage leading the current by a phase difference of ##\theta##. The instantaneous voltage is given by ##v = V_m\sin(\omega t +\theta) ; i = I_m\sin(\omega t) ##. The instantaneous power is then ##p = V_m I_m \sin(\omega t...
  30. SwatiAnshu

    Calculation of Eddy Current Brake Force with a twist

    All the equations I have seen have a component that is unknown. Also, if possible do let me know if there is a software I can use to model or analyze data related to eddy currents
  31. A

    Problem with a directional derivative calculation

    Good day I have a problem regarding the directional derivative (look at the example below) in this example, we try to find the directional derivatives according to the two approaches ( the definition with the limit and the dot product of the vector gradient and the vector direction) in this...
  32. A

    Problem with a directional derivative calculation

    this is the function and this is the solution in which the definition has been used my question is Why we can not use the traditional approach? I mean calculation the partial derivative which equals 0 in our case? And doing the dot product with the vector v (after normalizing it) many...
  33. B

    Chiller power consumption calculation

    Hello, If I am trying to calculate the heat removed from a chiller system through this formula on engineering toolbox.com: Does COP or efficiency of the equipment come into play with this calculation? For example if a chiller is fully loaded isn't it running more efficient for a watt/ton...
  34. PeterDonis

    A A Proposed Black Hole Entropy Calculation

    The following paper appeared earlier this year on arxiv, entitled "Islands in Schwarzschild Black Holes": https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.05863.pdf First, a bit of background: this paper appears to be part of a larger research effort aimed at resolving the black hole information paradox by showing...
  35. mktsgm

    Medical How is blood volume calculated and measured in the human body?

    We know that we humans have roughly 5 liters of blood circulating in our body. The volume also may be varying. We also know that its volume is tightly regulated and multiple organs are involved in it. My question is, how we calculated that we have 5 liters of blood? Is it an approximation or...
  36. K

    Selection of a compression spring

    Summary:: What does I need to consider in order to get the right spring? Hello. I need a compression spring that require 10 lbs of force in order to be compressed 1cm. The springs outer diameter (De) has to be 1cm. The spring will be made out of piano wire. Which values of specification does...
  37. M

    The Impact of R5 on Req Calculation

    So what I know is that without the edition of the R5 resistor R2 and R3 are 0 because the capacitor is short circuiting them. Why does the addition of the R5 resistor cause R2 and R3 to be calculated into the Req for the current equation?
  38. alex23

    Feynman's Propagator calculation

    The first thing I have to consider is that, since ##\Delta t \rightarrow 0##, the potential ##U## is not going to contribute and we can consider it to be ##0##. Next thing I did was calculate ##\left<xt|x_1t_1\right>## directly with the definition considering what I said before, and I got...
  39. V

    I Infinite series calculation of a potential

    I'm trying to get from the formula in the top to the formula in the bottom (See image: Series). My approach was to complexify the sine term and then use the fact that (see image: Series 1) for the infinite sum of 1/ne^-n. Then use the identity (see image: Series 2). Any other ideas?
  40. AHSAN MUJTABA

    Electrostatics potential calculation for a uniformly charged square

    I took a surface element dA at the surface of square at point x',y' now I took a point on x-axis and calculated the flux. But I got a very complicated integral though it should be simple and I can't interpret it
  41. AHSAN MUJTABA

    Electrodynamics flux calculation question

    I don't really know how to find it mathematically as I am really confused in finding the normal vector and finding the electric field as well. pls help
  42. I

    Bouncing calculation of this balance equation with the Iteration Method

    I need to solve the following equation for [OH-]: Kw/[OH-] + (10^-5)Kb/(Kb+[OH-]) = [OH-] by using the iteration method. I guess that [OH-] = 10^-7 M. I plug this into the left hand side of the equation and find [OH-] = 1.39*(10^-7) M. I plug this value back into the left hand side, and get...
  43. TheShadowDragon

    Calculation of a Propagator for a Spin 1/2 system

    Well, this calculation is straightforward in the Heisenberg picture. After finding the eigen values and eigen vectors of the total Hamiltonian, I found the explicit form for the exponential of the integral of the matrix and then did the matrix multiplication and calculated its expectation value...
  44. C

    B What is the relative speed of two groups of quasars with different redshifts?

    If many quasars are at redshift 10, and another group is at redshift 6, what is the speed of the second group relative to the first? The redshift 10 group can be considered "at rest", so the redshift 6 group is heading in our direction at what rate? For this scenario, let us assume all the...
  45. D

    Atwood machine calculation for launching a pebble

    Assume m2>m1 and take positive direction as downwards. String is inextensible so acceleration of block up = acceleration of block +pebble down =a I used the following 2 equations to obtain a ; -m1a = m1g - T , (m2+m)a = (m+m2)g - T which gives a = g(m+m2-m1)/(m+m1+m2) I then...
  46. M

    Engineering DC Shunt Motor: calculation of the efficiency

    Hi, My main question is: should we be subtracting the rotational power losses from the motor output power in our efficiency calculation? My approach: Will skip extra work as I have done the above parts of the question correctly. I used power conservation to state that: $$ P_{input} = P_{motor}...
  47. Maverickans

    Impedance calculation from base values

    Hello, I'm reading a paper at the moment and I came across this: We now apply the solution technique to a single-phase, 3 kW, 240 V ASD heat pump. The ASD has smoothing capacitor C = 4200 pF, (corresponding to approximately 6% ripple in dc voltage), and total impedance (sum of Thevenin and...
  48. E

    Required time and distance calculation of a shock wave

    I draw this picture in order to solve this problem. My first attempt was find the hypotenuse of the triangle and divide it by the speed of sound wave. d=a/sin(θ) d=4483.43m t=d/c=13.07 sec However, I am not sure whether I did it correctly or not... It looks the time is too big as an answer... I...
  49. M

    Engineering Common Mode Rejection Ratio: Instrumentation Amplifier Calculation

    Hi, I have a question regarding a practical CMRR calculation. Main information: - Signal input: 10 mV rms - Interference input: 1.5 V rms - In an earlier part of the question, we found that for the second stage of the instrumentation amplifier (the summation amplifier) that: $$...
  50. Kashif

    MCNP5, dose calculation, subcritical system

    Greetings to all need forum members help regarding MCNP5 college assignment. The task is to calculate dose from a system comprising of a neutron source surrounded by natural uranium. the system is subcritical. The problem is how to calculate dose due to fissions in the uranium because dose from...
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