The most I was able to compute was 2 power 99,999. When I tried 2 power 999,999, Windows XP resulted in an error saying: "Invalid input for function"

Then, I rebooted my computer, and picked Redhat Linux to run on the same computer instead of Windows Xp. Once Linux prompted me to login, I used the mathematical utility Linux has. It is called by typing "bc" at the command line.

Once I ran "bc", I typed 2^99,999, the same maximum number I used in Windows Xp calculator . In about 2 seconds, i got the result.

Then, I tried a bigger number, 2^999,999 which Windows Xp scientific calculator could not handle. In about 5 seconds, I got the result on the screen. then, I added one more digit to compute 2^9,999,999 which is 2 multiplied by itself 10 Millions times minus one.

I waited about 35 minutes, then Linux BC application produced the result on the screen by showing few screens full of numbers from left to right, and top to bottom.

Now you probably thinking, how does this computing relate to the performance of the CPU, or the whole computer as a whole.

Here is the answer:

What I discussed so far is using certain numbers to get the result of the formula 2 power 9,999,999. While running the calculation using "bc" in Linux. there another command to track the running processes in real time.

So, as you are running the calculations, you use another utility called "top" in RedHat Linux.

Once you run "top", the system shows you on the screen a list of applications, with all details about the resources consumed for each. The list is updated every few seconds, and each line shows the name of application.

So, to see the computation performance of "bc", you look up the line that says "bc". Then, you look on the same line that will show you information about "bc" like: