An instrument that computes the result of multiplying a set of numbers together (the product) and also determines the total obtained by adding those same numbers (the sum). For instance, given the numbers 2, 3, and 4, it calculates 2 3 4 = 24 (the product) and 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 (the sum).
This computation is valuable in diverse fields, from basic mathematics and statistics to engineering and financial analysis. It offers a quick and accurate method for understanding the central tendency and overall scale of a dataset. Historically, such calculations were performed manually, a time-consuming and potentially error-prone process. The advent of electronic computation has greatly enhanced the speed and reliability of these operations.