Why is squaring a number faster than multiplying two random numbers?

Question

Multiplying two binary numbers takes n^2 time, yet squaring a number can be done more efficiently somehow. (with n being the number of bits) How could that be?

Or is i

Answer 1

Do you mean multiplying a number by a power of 2? This is usually quicker than multiplying any two random numbers since the result can be calculated by simple bit shifting. However, bear in mind that modern microprocessors dedicate lots of brute force silicon to these types of calculations and most arithmetic is performed with blinding speed compared to older microprocessors