Google calculator


The Google calculator is a software calculator available to anyone using the Google search engine by typing commands in the search box. The Google calculator can handle basic arithmeticPlanetmathPlanetmath, namely additionPlanetmathPlanetmath, subtractionPlanetmathPlanetmath, multiplication, division and square rootMathworldPlanetmath (including those commands containing parentheses); unit conversions; percentages; calculations relating to certain very well-known constants.

The first example provided by Google is 5+2*2. The Google calculator obeys the rules of operator precedence and understands parentheses: 3*(18-2)-1 correctly evaluates to 47. Sometimes the calculator understands the tacit multiplication operator, but it is best to always state it explicitly. The calculator will sometimes insert parenthesis into the expression to show it has understood correctly, e.g., in response to “$125 + 6% of $125” it answers with “(US$ 125) + (6% of (US$ 125)) = 132.5 U.S. dollars.” For sufficiently large numbers (for example, powers of two greater than 242) it switches to scientific notation. Like most hardware calculators, the Google calculator also responds to 0^0 with 1.

The calculator does not understand reverse Polish notationMathworldPlanetmath, nor is it capable of giving the prime factorizationMathworldPlanetmath of small composite numbersMathworldPlanetmath.

Commands can also be given in word form, for example, “two times two” or “thrice pi”, which evaluate to “four” and “9.42477796” respectively. Some of the more archaic number names can also be used, such as “gross” (for 144) and “score” (for 20).

Title Google calculator
Canonical name GoogleCalculator
Date of creation 2013-03-22 16:29:30
Last modified on 2013-03-22 16:29:30
Owner CompositeFan (12809)
Last modified by CompositeFan (12809)
Numerical id 8
Author CompositeFan (12809)
Entry type Definition
Classification msc 01A65
Classification msc 01A61