Prepare calculations and chart results with Bash Math, Shell Style

In this series' previous installments on Bash scripting [1, 2, 3, 4], I have explained how to use data structures, flow control commands, and testing operators. Now, I will show you how to handle number-related tasks with shell scripts.

Before getting started, I want to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of doing math inside shell scripts.

Bash cannot do floating-point math or plotting. As for speed, fast calculations of any kind have never been a selling point of Unix shells. When it comes to performance, there have been many, much better solutions since before C and Fortran. Today, with the right libraries, even other scripting languages are better choices if raw execution speed is your main requirement.

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