Error Analysis

SEMM 3023 Applied Numerical Methods

Dr. Nur Izwanne Mahyon

 01 Approximations and Round‐Off
Errors

02 Accuracy & Precision

Content 03 Significant Figures

04 Rounding of Numbers

05 Error Definitions

06 Sources of Rounding Errors in

Calculation

07 Sources of Errors
 • For many engineering problems, we cannot obtain analytical solutions.
Approximations and

• Numerical methods yield approximate results, results that are close to

Round‐Off Errors

the exact analytical solution. We cannot exactly compute the errors

associated with numerical methods.

➢ Only rarely given data are exact, since they originate from
measurements. Therefore there is probably error in the input
information.

➢ Algorithm itself usually introduces errors as well, for example,

unavoidable round‐offs, etc …

➢ The output information will then contain error from both of these
sources. 3
Approximations and
Round‐Off Errors

• How confident are we in our approximate result?

• The question is:

“how much error is present in our calculation and is it

tolerable?”

4
 Accuracy & Precision
• Accuracy:
➢How close is a computed or measured value to the true value.

• Inaccuracy (or bias):

➢A systematic deviation from the actual value

• Precision (or reproducibility):

➢How close is a computed or measured value to previously computed
or measured values

• Imprecision (or uncertainty):

➢Magnitude of scatter 5
6
 Significant Figures
Number of significant figures indicates precision.
Significant digits of a number are those that can be used with confidence.
Zeros used to locate the
decimal point are not
5.38 x 104 3 significant
5.380 x 104 4 figures
5.3800 x 104 5
0.00001753 4
0.0001753 4
How many significant figures 0.001753 4
does 53,800 has?

7
 Rounding of Numbers
General guideline to round numbers during numerical computations:

1. If the round‐off is done by

2. If the last retained digit is odd retaining i digits, the last
and the first discarded digit is 5 or retained digit (the ith one) is
5 followed by zeros, the last increased by one if the first
retained digit is increased by one discarded digit is 6 or larger.

o 200.55 → 200.6 to 4 significant o 201.48 → 201.5 to 4

figures (4th digit is odd) significant figures
o 200.65
How → 200.6
many to 4 significant
significant figures
figures (4th digit is even)
does 53,800 has?
o 2.013501 → 2.014 to 4
significant figures (4th digit is odd)

8
 Rounding of Numbers
General guideline to round numbers during numerical computations:

4. During addition or subtraction,

3. In all other cases, the last the rounding off of the final
number is retained. result is done such that the
position of the last retained digit
o 9.46932 → 9.469 to 4 significant is the same as that of the most
figures significant last retained digits in
o 1.86245 → 1.862 to 4 significant the original numbers that were
figures added or subtracted.
How many significant figures
does 53,800 has?

9
 Rounding of Numbers
General guideline to round numbers during numerical computations:

5 . During multiplication or 6. During multiple arithmetic

division, the round‐off of the operations, the operations
final result is done such that the are performed one at a time as
number of significant digits is indicated by the parenthesis:
equal to the smallest number of
significant digits used in the
original number.

How many significant figures

does 53,800 has?

10
 Rounding of Numbers

How many significant figures

does 53,800 has?

11
Error
 Error Definitions

13
 Error Definitions

14
 Error Definitions

15
Chopping & Round-off Errors

16
Sources of Rounding Errors in Calculation

17
 Sources of Errors in Calculation

03
02
01 Errors in
input
Blunders
Errors in
mathematical
modeling
• Due to unavoidable reasons
• Undetected programming e.g. errors in data transfer,
errors, • Uncertainties associated
• Simplifying approximation,
• Assumption made in • Silly mistakes. with measurements
representing physical system
by mathematical equations.

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Sources of Rounding Errors in Calculation

05
04
Truncation errors
Machine associated with
Errors mathematical
process

• Approximate evaluation of an
• Rounding, infinite series,
• Chopping, • Integral involving infinity.
• Overflow,
• Underflow.

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Thank You