Calculator Tool

November 13, 2025 · View on GitHub

The Calculator tool provides basic arithmetic computation capabilities for AI agents that need to perform mathematical calculations accurately.

Purpose

AI agents can use this tool when they need to:

  • Perform basic arithmetic operations
  • Calculate complex expressions with proper order of operations
  • Ensure mathematical accuracy in their computations
  • Handle both integer and decimal number calculations

Usage

Basic Operations

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "2 + 3"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "expression": "2 + 3",
  "result": 5
}

Supported Operations

  • Addition: +
  • Subtraction: -
  • Multiplication: *
  • Division: /
  • Modulo: %
  • Exponentiation: ^
  • Parentheses: () for grouping

Order of Operations

The calculator follows standard mathematical order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS):

  1. Parentheses/Brackets first
  2. Exponents (right to left)
  3. Multiplication and Division (left to right)
  4. Addition and Subtraction (left to right)
{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "2 + 3 * 4"
  }
}

Returns 14 (not 20) because multiplication is performed before addition.

Complex Expressions

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "((10 + 5) * 2 - 3) / 9"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "expression": "((10 + 5) * 2 - 3) / 9",
  "result": 3
}

Decimal Numbers

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "3.14 * 2.5"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "expression": "3.14 * 2.5",
  "result": 7.85
}

Unary Operators

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "-5 + 10"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "expression": "-5 + 10",
  "result": 5
}

Exponentiation

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "$2^{53}$ - 1"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "expression": "$2^{53}$ - 1",
  "result": 9007199254740991
}

Note: Exponentiation is right-associative, so 2^3^2 equals 2^($3^{2}$) = 512, not ($2^{3}$)^2 = 64.

Parameters

You must provide either expression or expressions parameter (not both).

expression (optional)

  • Type: string
  • Description: Single mathematical expression to evaluate
  • Example: "2 + 3 * 4"

expressions (optional)

  • Type: array of strings
  • Description: Multiple mathematical expressions to evaluate in one call
  • Example: ["2 + 3", "10 * 5", "(15 - 3) / 4"]

Each expression can contain:

  • Numbers (integers and decimals)
  • Basic arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /, %, ^)
  • Parentheses for grouping
  • Unary operators (+, -)
  • Whitespace (ignored)

Examples

Simple Arithmetic

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "25 / 5"
  }
}

Percentage Calculations

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "150 * 0.20"
  }
}

Complex Business Calculations

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "(1200 - 200) * 0.15 + 50"
  }
}

Multiple Expressions (Array Mode)

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expressions": [
      "2 + 3",
      "10 * 5",
      "(15 - 3) / 4",
      "2.5 + 1.5"
    ]
  }
}

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "expression": "2 + 3",
      "result": 5
    },
    {
      "expression": "10 * 5",
      "result": 50
    },
    {
      "expression": "(15 - 3) / 4",
      "result": 3
    },
    {
      "expression": "2.5 + 1.5",
      "result": 4
    }
  ]
}

Batch Financial Calculations

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expressions": [
      "1000 * 0.08",
      "1500 * 0.15",
      "2000 * 0.12"
    ]
  }
}

Error Handling

The calculator provides clear error messages for invalid expressions:

Division by Zero

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "10 / 0"
  }
}

Error: "division by zero"

Invalid Syntax

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "2 + * 3"
  }
}

Error: "unexpected character '*'"

Unmatched Parentheses

{
  "name": "calculator",
  "arguments": {
    "expression": "(2 + 3"
  }
}

Error: "expected closing parenthesis"

Limitations

  • No support for scientific notation (e.g., 1e6)
  • No support for functions (e.g., sqrt, sin, cos, log)
  • No support for variables or constants (e.g., π, e)
  • No support for bitwise operations
  • Decimal precision limited by floating-point representation