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Re: Numerical accuracy/precision - this is a bug or a feature?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg120225] Re: Numerical accuracy/precision - this is a bug or a feature?
• From: Richard Fateman <fateman at cs.berkeley.edu>
• Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:21:07 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <ius5op$2g7$1@smc.vnet.net> <ius7b6$30t$1@smc.vnet.net> <iv9ehj$dct$1@smc.vnet.net> <ivjgfp$2b9$1@smc.vnet.net>

On 7/13/2011 12:11 AM, Noqsi wrote:
..

>> see e.g.
>> <http://www.av8n.com/physics/uncertainty.htm>.
>
>
..
Learning mathematics from a physicist is hazardous.
Learning computer science from a physicist is hazardous too.
Numbers in a computer are different from experimental measurements.


nevertheless, I like this article.  It says, among other things,

	The technique of propagating the uncertainty from step to step 
throughout the calculation is a very bad technique. It might sometimes 
work for super-simple ?textbook? problems but it is unlikely to work for 
real-world problems.

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Numerical accuracy/precision - this is a bug or a feature?
    • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz@mimuw.edu.pl>
  • Re: Numerical accuracy/precision - this is a bug or a feature?
    • From: "W. Craig Carter" <ccarter@mit.edu>