DirectCompute is a program created by Microsoft that allows developers to write code that can be used to increase the speed of their programs. It works by using a computer's graphics processing unit (GPU) to quickly compute more complicated calculations than a regular processor can. To understand this better, think of it like a calculator - a regular calculator can only do basic math. But a GPU calculator can help with more difficult calculations like trigonometry, algebra, and more. In the same way, DirectCompute can help speed up programs that need lots of complicated calculations.