Quality Of Numerical Software

Numerical software is central to our computerized society. It is used to control aeroplanes and bridges, operate manufacturing lines, control power plants and refineries, and analyse financial markets. Such software must be accurate, reliable, robust, efficient, easy to use, maintainable and adaptable. Quality assessment and control of numerical software is still not well understood. Although measurement is a key element, it remains difficult to assess many components of software quality and to evaluate the trade-offs between them. Fortunately, as numerical software is built upon a long established foundation of mathematical and computational knowledge, there is great potential for dramatic breakthroughs. This volume will address enabling techniques and tools such as benchmarks, testing methodologies, quality standards, metrics, and accuracy control mechanisms, and their application to software for differential equations, linear algebra, data analysis, as well as the evaluation of integrals, derivatives and elementary and special functions.

Numerical Methods, Software, and Analysis, Second Edition introduces science and engineering students to the methods, tools, and ideas of numerical computation. Introductory courses in numerical methods face a fundamental problem—there is too little time to learn too much. This text solves that problem by using high-quality mathematical software. In fact, the objective of the text is to present scientific problem solving using standard mathematical software. This book discusses numerous programs and software packages focusing on the IMSL library (including the PROTRAN system) and ACM Algorithms. The book is organized into three parts. Part I presents the background material. Part II presents the principal methods and ideas of numerical computation. Part III contains material about software engineering and performance evaluation. A uniform approach is used in each area of numerical computation. First, an intuitive development is made of the problems and the basic methods for their solution. Then, relevant mathematical software is reviewed and its use outlined. Many areas provide extensive examples and case studies. Finally, a deeper analysis of the methods is presented as in traditional numerical analysis texts. Emphasizes the use of high-quality mathematical software for numerical computation Extensive use of IMSL routines Features extensive examples and case studies

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to various mathematical approaches to achieving high-quality software. An introduction to mathematics that is essential for sound software engineering is provided as well as a discussion of various mathematical methods that are used both in academia and industry. The mathematical approaches considered include: Z specification language Vienna Development Methods (VDM) Irish school of VDM (VDM) approach of Dijkstra and Hoare classical engineering approach of Parnas Cleanroom approach developed at IBM software reliability, and unified modelling language (UML). Additionally, technology transfer of the mathematical methods to industry is considered. The book explains the main features of these approaches and applies mathematical methods to solve practical problems. Written with both student and professional in mind, this book assists the reader in applying mathematical methods to solve practical problems that are relevant to software engineers.

Numerical software is used to test scientific theories, design airplanes and bridges, operate manufacturing lines, control power plants and refineries, analyze financial derivatives, identify genomes, and provide the understanding necessary to derive and analyze cancer treatments. Because of the high stakes involved, it is essential that results computed using software be accurate, reliable, and robust. Unfortunately, developing accurate and reliable scientific software is notoriously difficult. This book investigates some of the difficulties related to scientific computing and provides insight into how to overcome them and obtain dependable results. The tools to assess existing scientific applications are described, and a variety of techniques that can improve the accuracy and reliability of newly developed applications is discussed. Accuracy and Reliability in Scientific Computing can be considered a handbook for improving the quality of scientific computing. It will help computer scientists address the problems that affect software in general as well as the particular challenges of numerical computation: approximations occurring at all levels, continuous functions replaced by discretized versions, infinite processes replaced by finite ones, and real numbers replaced by finite precision numbers. Divided into three parts, it starts by illustrating some of the difficulties in producing robust and reliable scientific software. Well-known cases of failure are reviewed and the what and why of numerical computations are considered. The second section describes diagnostic tools that can be used to assess the accuracy and reliability of existing scientific applications. In the last section, the authors describe a variety of techniques that can be employed to improve the accuracy and reliability of newly developed scientific applications. The authors of the individual chapters are international experts, many of them members of the IFIP Working Group on Numerical Software.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Numerical Software Verification, NSV 2017, held in Heidelberg, Germany, in July 2017 - colocated with the International Workshop on Formal Methods for Rigorous Systems Engineering of Cyber-Physical Systems, RISE4CPS 2017, a one-time, invited-only event.The 3 full papers presented together with 3 short papers, 2 keynote abstracts and 4 invited abstracts were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions.The NSV 2017 workshop is dedicated to the development of logical and mathematical techniques for the reasoning about programmability and reliability.

Numerical Methods for Differential Systems: Recent Developments in Algorithms, Software, and Applications reviews developments in algorithms, software, and applications of numerical methods for differential systems. Topics covered include numerical algorithms for ordinary and partial differential equations (ODE/PDEs); theoretical approaches to the solution of nonlinear algebraic and boundary value problems via associated differential systems; integration algorithms for initial-value ODEs with particular emphasis on stiff systems; finite difference algorithms; and general- and special-purpose computer codes for ODE/PDEs. Comprised of 15 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to high-order A-stable averaging algorithms for stiff differential systems, followed by a discussion on second derivative multistep formulas based on g-splines; numerical integration of linearized stiff ODEs; and numerical solution of large systems of stiff ODEs in a modular simulation framework. Subsequent chapters focus on numerical methods for mass action kinetics; a systematized collection of codes for solving two-point boundary value problems; general software for PDEs; and the choice of algorithms in automated method of lines solution of PDEs. The final chapter is devoted to quality software for ODEs. This monograph should be of interest to mathematicians, chemists, and chemical engineers.