Arithmetic Operators

Definition - What does Arithmetic Operators mean?

Arithmetic operators, in C#, are operators used to perform arithmetic operations that include multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. With the exception of the subtraction operator, where "-" is used to indicate a negative number, arithmetic operators are binary operators that take two operands. The operands are of numeric data type, and perform in a similar manner as in other languages such as C and C++.

Arithmetic operators "+" and "-" are used to manipulate pointers by adding or subtracting the numeric value to or from the pointers without generating any exception during overflow of the of the pointer's domain. Arithmetic operators can be overloaded when used with user-defined types to extend the nature of normal operators, thus providing additional functionalities.

Techopedia explains Arithmetic Operators

The list of arithmetic operators available in C# includes:
  • * : used to perform multiplication of operands of integer, floating-point and decimal type. It returns a multiplicative product of the two operands.
  • / : used to divide operands of integer, floating-point and decimal type. It returns the quotient of its operands.
  • % : used to compute the remainder of the division between two operands, which can beof integer, float, double or decimal type.
  • + : used with different types of operands, resulting in different type of results. In case of numeric and enumeration types, the predefined addition operator calculates the sum of two operands, while the use of string type operand results in a concatenated string. It can also be used to combine delegates of a similar type.
  • - : used with all numeric types like integer, float, decimal and enumeration to calculate the difference between its operands. It can also be used to remove delegates of a similar type.

This definition was written in the context of C#.

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