# Confirm that you are located in your '''home''' directory in your Matrix account.<br><br>

# To demonstrate the need for the '''( )''' construct, issue the following Linux command from the shell:<br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "1 + 2"</span><br><br>What did you notice?<br><br>

# Issue the following Linux commands demonstrating other types of math calculations:<br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "$((2 - 3))"</span><br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "$((2 * 3))"</span><br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "$((2 / 3))"</span><br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "$((2 ** 3))"</span><br><br>'''NOTE:''' You may notice that '''dividing''' '''2''' by '''3''' shows a '''zero''' result. To perform decimal calculations would require<br>the use the '''awk''' or '''bc''' Linux commands (we will '''NOT''' cover that method to work with decimal numbers in this course).<br><br>You can use the ''math construct'' with variables as well.<br><br>

# Issue the following Linux commands demonstrating using the ''math construct'' with variables:<br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">num1=34</span><br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">num2=12</span><br><span style="color:blue;font-family:courier;font-weight:bold">echo "$((num1 * num2))"</span><br><br>What did you notice?<br><br>You can create variables and assign them values in the ''math construct'' as well.<br><br>