number crunching

application, jargon Computations of a numerical nature,

especially those that make extensive use of floating-point

numbers. The only thing Fortrash is good for.

This term is in widespread informal use outside hackerdom and

even in mainstream slang, but has additional hackish

connotations: namely, that the computations are mindless and

involve massive use of brute force. This is not always

evil, especially if it involves ray tracing or fractals

or some other use that makes pretty pictures, especially if

such pictures can be used as wallpaper.

See also crunch.

[Jargon File]

(1995-03-17)