What is the difference between "calculate" and "compute"?

What is the difference between "calculate" and "compute"?

回答1

ou can compute the shortest path between two points. However, you can calculate only the distance between the two points. You can also say that you are computing the distance. However, "calculating the shortest path" is downright incorrect.

So, calculation involves an arithmetic process. Computation is involved in the implementation of non-arithmetic steps of the algorithm.

Hope it helps. :)

 

回答2

Calculate is a most general word usually used when we are using only the basic arithmetic operators i.e plus,minus,division and multiplication.

Compute is a word that has a wider scope. It is used when we are using other operators along with basic operators. It may include comparison operators, logical operators, relational operators as well as non mathematical processes.

Example: Average of some numbers is always “calculated” as it include addition and division, while shortest path between two points is always “computed” as it also includes comparing of path lengths.

 

作者:Chuck Lu    GitHub