| name | math-calculator |
| description | Calculate simple mathematical expressions using shell commands. Use when the user asks to perform arithmetic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or more complex math expressions. |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| compatibility | Requires bash with bc (basic calculator) |
Math Calculator Skill
This skill provides the ability to calculate mathematical expressions using shell commands.
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Performing arithmetic calculations (add, subtract, multiply, divide)
- Evaluating mathematical expressions with parentheses
- Computing percentages or powers
- Any numeric computation requested by the user
Methods
Using bc (Basic Calculator)
The bc command is a powerful calculator that supports:
- Basic arithmetic:
+, -, *, /
- Power:
^
- Parentheses for grouping
- Scale for decimal precision
Example:
echo "2 + 3 * 4" | bc
echo "scale=2; 10 / 3" | bc
echo "(2 + 3) * 4" | bc
Supported Operations
| Operation | Symbol | Example |
|---|
| Addition | + | 5 + 3 = 8 |
| Subtraction | - | 10 - 4 = 6 |
| Multiplication | * | 6 * 7 = 42 |
| Division | / | 15 / 3 = 5 |
| Power | ^ (bc) or ** (Python) | 2 ^ 3 = 8 |
| Modulo | % | 17 % 5 = 2 |
| Square Root | sqrt() (bc) | sqrt(16) = 4 |
Notes
- Use
scale=N in bc to set decimal precision (default is 0, integer only)
- For floating-point division, always set
scale in bc
