What is Precomputing? Definition, Benefits, and Applications
Precomputed refers to the process of computing and storing the results of a computation in advance, so that they can be quickly retrieved and reused later. In other words, precomputing involves performing a computation once and storing the results, rather than performing the computation every time it is needed.
Precomputing can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as:
1. Reducing computational overhead: By precomputing the results of a computation, we can avoid having to perform the computation every time it is needed, which can save time and reduce computational overhead.
2. Improving performance: Precomputed results can be stored in memory or on disk, allowing them to be quickly retrieved and used, which can improve performance.
3. Enabling offline processing: By precomputing the results of a computation, we can enable offline processing, where the results are computed in advance and stored for later use.
4. Supporting real-time applications: Precomputing can be useful in real-time applications, where the results of a computation need to be quickly available.
5. Reducing data transfer: By precomputing the results of a computation, we can reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred between different components of a system, which can improve performance and reduce network overhead.
Precomputed results can be stored in various forms, such as:
1. Arrays or matrices: Precomputed results can be stored in arrays or matrices, where each element represents the result of a specific computation.
2. Data structures: Precomputed results can also be stored in more complex data structures, such as trees or graphs, which allow for efficient retrieval and manipulation of the results.
3. Files: Precomputed results can also be stored in files, where the file contains the precomputed results in a specific format.
4. Memory: Precomputed results can also be stored in memory, where they are quickly accessible and can be used to improve performance.
5. Cloud: Precomputed results can also be stored in cloud, where they can be accessed from different devices and locations.