Calculator Tool
A simple tool that does exact math for the model, which is otherwise shaky at arithmetic.
Think of it like
Handing a brilliant essayist a pocket calculator — great with words, best not trusted to multiply in their head.
Example
To compute a 17.5% tip on $84.60, the agent calls the calculator rather than guessing, and returns the exact figure.
How it actually works
Language models predict likely text, and “likely” often isn’t “correct” for numbers, so they fumble multi-digit arithmetic in ways that look confident. A calculator tool offloads the math to code that’s actually right. It’s the canonical example of why tool use exists at all: don’t make the model do what a two-line function does perfectly.
For product teams
The clearest illustration of tools covering a model’s known weak spots.
For engineers
A tool that evaluates arithmetic or symbolic expressions exactly, offloading computation the model does unreliably.
Related
- Tool Use — The general lesson it embodies.
- Hallucination — The error it guards against.
- Code Interpreter — A more general version that runs any code.
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