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Fathom Reference > Fathom Operators, Functions, and Units > Operators
Arithmetic operators: +, -, × , ÷, ^, !
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, raise to a power, and factorial. These operators obey normal algebraic precedence, but you should use parentheses when in doubt. All of these except ! are available from the formula editor’s keypad. You can also use the computer’s keyboard: * for multiplication, / for division,
^ (Shift+6) to raise to a power.
Logical operators ( operators): and, or, not
Use the keypad buttons on the screen to enter and and or. You may also type them, but be careful to use parentheses around sub-expressions. Use & (Shift+7) as a shortcut for and. Use Ctrl+Shift+O (Win) Option+Shift+O (Mac) as a shortcut for or. Use ~ as a shortcut for not, which will show up as  .
See Work with Formulas.
Comparison operators: <, >, =, ≤, ≥, and ≠.
To use the last three, press Ctrl (Win) Option (Mac) and click the key on the keypad. You can also type them from the computer keyboard, holding down Ctrl (Win) Option (Mac) to get the last three.
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Fraction inversion: If nothing is selected, this key makes a fraction, with 1 in the numerator and a blinking in the denominator. If something is selected, it takes the selection and puts it in the denominator of a fraction, with 1 in the numerator.
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Square root: If nothing is selected, this key makes the square root symbol and places the caret inside it. If something is selected, it places the selection inside the square root. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+R (Win) Option+Shift+R (Mac).
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Parentheses: This key surrounds the selection (or caret) with parentheses. You always get a pair, never just one. From the keyboard, type only the left parenthesis to get the pair. Type a right parenthesis to move the caret outside the parentheses, no matter where you are in them.
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Absolute value: This key surrounds the selection (or caret) with the vertical bars that represent the absolute value operator. You can also enter this operator with the vertical bar key on your computer keyboard.
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Left and right arrows: Either on the keypad or on the computer keyboard, the arrow keys move the caret left and right. Of course, because algebraic expressions are more complicated than normal text, sometimes an arrow key will move the caret up or down to the preceding or next part of the expression.
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Up and down arrows: Either on the keypad or computer keyboard, the up arrow selects more of the expression and the down arrow selects less of the selection. These, in combination with the left and right arrows and Tab, provide a quick way to move around a complicated expression.
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Comma: Many functions use a comma to separate multiple arguments. For example, modulo(7,3) will give 7 mod 3. You can enter the comma from the keypad, by holding down Ctrl (Win) Option (Mac) and clicking the button, or directly from the computer keyboard.
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Tab: The Tab key on the computer keyboard moves the selection to the next entry location, for example, the next number or argument to a function. When you reach the last one, it wraps around to the first. Shift+Tab moves in the opposite direction.
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