Grosch's law

proper noun

The observation that computing power increases as the square of the cost, e.g. a computer that costs twice as much ought to be four times as fast.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. computingThe observation that computing power increases as the square of the cost, e.g. a computer that costs twice as much ought to be four times as fast.

Origin

Attributed to computer scientist Herb Grosch in 1965, though previously stated by Seymour Cray.

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Cite this entry
APA

Grosch's law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Grosch's%20law

MLA

“Grosch's law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Grosch's%20law. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Grosch's law,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Grosch's%20law.

Source: Grosch's law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.