dc

dc stands for Desk Calculator, and it is a command line tool for performing arithmetic calculations primarily involving arbitrary-precision decimal numbers. It is often used as a reverse-polish notation (RPN) calculator.

With dc, you can perform mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, square roots, trigonometric functions, and much more. It supports floating-point calculations and can handle very large numbers with high precision.

The syntax for dc is a bit different from the typical arithmetic expressions you might be used to. Instead of writing expressions like 1 + 2, you would enter them in postfix notation like this: 1 2 +. The operands are typed in first, followed by the operator.

One of the notable features of dc is its ability to chain multiple operations in a single line. For example, you can calculate the sum of squares of a list of numbers easily with just one line of input.

dc is a versatile tool for performing calculations in scripts or on the command line without the need for a separate calculator application. It is simple and efficient, making it popular among Unix-like operating systems and scripting enthusiasts.