The Data Calculator is used to perform mathematical operations on Data Sets and/or scalar values to create new data sets. The Data Calculator is accessed by selecting the Data Calculator command from the Data menu.
The Data Calculator can be used to perform any set of mathematical operations shown as icons in the center of the dialog. Some of the operators are binary (i.e., "+", "-") and some are unary (i.e., "1/x", ln(x)). The user simply composes a mathematical equation using operators and data sets. The operator then specifies a name for the new data set to be created as a result of the operation. Once the mathematical operation is defined, the user clicks on the COMPUTE button to execute the operation. The new function then appears in the Data Set list.
The Data Calculator is useful for a variety of tasks. For example, to generate a data set representing the absolute difference between two other data sets, the user enters the equation |a-b| where 'a' and 'b' correspond to the two data sets. Such a data set would be useful for comparing the results of two separate solutions computed by a numerical model.