A number cruncher works with numbers and can be a computer, software application, or a person such as a financial analyst. The technology is used to manipulate data and create new data sets.
A number cruncher is one of those exciting-sounding terms that means pretty much what it sounds like: it’s a thing or person who works with numbers. The most recognizable type these days is a computer. The vast majority of functions within a computer are performed by a calculator, which was the original definition of the term.
Actually, technically speaking, a number calculator can be a slide rule or even an abacus, as these devices can also perform many calculations. The idea that these calculations are performed very quickly brings to mind electronic devices such as calculators and computers. From time to time, a computer company will make headlines with claims about the new fastest time for calculations of things like pi at 100 places.
A number cruncher is also a software application. Commonly designed for younger students, this software performs multiple calculations quickly while teaching young students the importance of knowing the theory and rules behind those calculations. There are many applications available, with prices ranging from free to hundreds of US dollars.
Software applications that perform functions with numbers can also be used to manipulate data or create new data from existing data sets. Perhaps the most basic form of this type of application is a random number generator. This type of computer program runs an algorithm that prompts the computer to pick a number at random from a huge list and display it on the screen or insert it into the active part of another application. If we look deeper into the coding that some popular software applications run, we can find number crunching elements such as the random number generator and other types of data manipulation. Best-selling software applications, even the world’s most popular computer games, use this technology to create and manipulate situations on grids and layouts for alternate worlds or simple games with repetitive motion.
A number grinder can also be a person. These people include statisticians and financial analysts. Someone who is a financial analyst can have many different types of jobs. Common fields include stocks and securities, real estate, accounting, and banking. It usually happens that a human number calculator uses the electronic type to perform the calculations necessary for her work.
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