Chapter 1

1.2 Round –Off Error and Computer arithmetic

Floating point numbers

Machine numbers are represented in k-digit normalized
form:

±𝟎. 𝒅𝟏 𝒅𝟐 … 𝒅𝒌 𝜷𝒏 , 𝒅𝟏 ≠ 𝟎 , 𝟎 ≤ 𝒅𝒊 < 𝛽
Mantissa Base Exponent

Approximated numbers
Real numbers are approximated by chopping or
rounding.

Example 1
Approximate the number 𝒑 = 𝟒𝟑. 𝟓𝟔𝟒𝟑𝟖𝟓𝟒, using:
a) 3-digit chopping: 𝑓𝑙(𝑝) = 43.5 = 0.435 ∗ 102
b) 3 digit rounding: 𝑓𝑙 (𝑝) = 43.6 = 0.436 ∗ 102

Example 2
Approximate the number 𝒑 = 𝟓𝟐, 𝟓𝟔𝟒, 𝟑𝟖𝟓, using:
c) 3-digit chopping: 𝑓𝑙(𝑝) = 52,500,000 = 0.525 ∗ 108
d) 3 digit rounding
e) 2 digit chopping
f) 2-digit rounding

1
 Error Measuring
Let 𝒑∗ be an approximation to a real number 𝒑. Then
𝒆𝒑 = |𝒑∗ − 𝒑| is called absolute error
|𝒑∗ −𝒑| |𝒑∗ −𝒑|
𝜹𝒑 = |𝒑|
~ | 𝒑∗ | is called relative error

Example 3
Find the absolute error and the relative error:
a) 𝒑∗ = 𝟎. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟐 ~𝒑 = 𝟐𝟏

b) 𝒑∗ = 𝟎. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟓 ~𝒑 = 𝟐𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎

c) 𝒑∗ = 𝟎. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟑 ~𝒑 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟏

Remark
Using absolute error or relative error may be misleading

2
Example 4 Let
𝟒 𝟐
𝒑= +
𝟕 𝟑
Calculate:
a) Exact value of 𝒑.

b) Approximate value of 𝒑 , using 3-digit chopping

arithmetic.
𝟒 𝟏
𝒇𝒍(𝒑) = 𝒇𝒍 �𝒇𝒍 � � + 𝒇𝒍 � �� =
𝟕 𝟑

c) Approximate value of 𝒑 , using 3-digit rounding

arithmetic.

d) Compute the relative errors in parts b and c.

3
Errors in Scientific Computations

Subtracting of nearly equal numbers

Example 1
1
Consider 𝑝 = √626 − √625 and 𝑞 = .
√626+√625
a) Approximate 𝑝 and 𝑞 , using 4-digig chopping
arithmetic.
b) Calculate the relative errors in part (a)

√626 = 25.019992 … , √625 = 25.00

𝑝 = √626 − √625 = 0.019992 …
𝑝∗ = 𝑓𝑙[𝑓𝑙(√626) − 𝑓𝑙(�625)]

= 𝑓𝑙(25.01 − 25.00) = 0.01

|𝑝−𝑝∗ | 0.009992… 0.01

𝛿𝑝 = |𝑝|
= ≈ = 50%
0.019992… 0.02

4
 Polynomial computation

To evaluate 𝑷𝟒 (𝑥 ) = 𝑎4 𝑥 4 + 𝑎3 𝑥 3 + 𝑎2 𝑥 2 + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0 at = 𝛼
, the number of operations is reduced when a nested form is
used:
𝑷𝟒 (𝑥 ) = 𝑥(𝑥(𝑥(𝑎4 𝑥 + 𝑎3 ) + 𝑎2 ) + 𝑎1 ) + 𝑎0

Example 2
Consider. 𝒇(𝑥 ) = 𝑥 3 − 6.1𝑥 2 + 3.2𝑥 + 1.5,
𝒈(𝑥 ) = 𝑥(𝑥(𝑥 − 6.1) + 3.2) + 1.5

Compute 𝒇(4.71) and (4.71) , using

a) Exact values

>

>

>

b) 3-digit rounding
>

5
Computation of Series
Starting with sum of small numbers will reduces the error

Example 3
Use 3-digit chopping arithmetic to compute:
1
a) ∑10
1 𝑛2
= 1.53

1
b) ∑10
1 (11−𝑛)2

= 1.54
Actual value of the sum is 1.541