precalculada

Precalculada is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe data, results, or quantities that have been computed in advance. In English, the equivalent adjective is precalculated. The core idea is to perform the computation ahead of time and store the results for quick retrieval, thereby reducing the cost of repeated calculations during later use.

The concept appears across several fields. In computing, precalculation underpins caching and precomputation strategies. Common examples include precomputed lookup tables for operations such as trigonometric values, factorials, or binomial coefficients; materialized views in databases that store query results for faster access; and precomputed lighting or illumination caches in computer graphics. In data warehousing and analytics, precalculated aggregates speed up frequent summaries. In cryptography, precomputation can accelerate repeated modular exponentiation when parts of the input remain fixed, though this can raise security considerations.

Benefits of precalculation include faster runtime performance, reduced latency, and more predictable resource usage during peak load. Trade-offs involve higher memory consumption, potential data staleness if inputs change, and added complexity for maintaining and invalidating cached data or tables. The technique is most effective when the upfront cost of calculation and storage is outweighed by the savings during repeated use.

Etymology_from Latin: prae- “before” and calculare “to calculate.”