In what ways can PHP developers optimize their code to prevent errors and improve performance when working with numerical calculations?

When working with numerical calculations in PHP, developers can optimize their code by using appropriate data types, avoiding unnecessary type conversions, and utilizing built-in functions for mathematical operations. Additionally, developers should handle edge cases and errors gracefully to prevent unexpected behavior and improve performance.

// Example of optimizing numerical calculations in PHP
// Using appropriate data types and avoiding unnecessary type conversions

// Bad practice: unnecessary type conversion
$number1 = "10";
$number2 = "20";
$result = (int)$number1 + (int)$number2;

// Good practice: using appropriate data types
$number1 = 10;
$number2 = 20;
$result = $number1 + $number2;

echo $result;