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

Software Quality Control, Error, Analysis

Software Quality Control, Error, Analysis

Looking back at the years that have passed since the realization of the very first electronic, multi-purpose computers, one observes a tremendous growth in hardware and software performance. Today, researchers and engi neers have access to computing power and software that can solve numerical problems which are not fully understood in terms of existing mathemati cal theory. Thus, computational sciences must in many respects be viewed as experimental disciplines. As a consequence, there is a demand for high quality, flexible software that allows, and even encourages, experimentation with alternative numerical strategies and mathematical models. Extensibil ity is then a key issue; the software must provide an efficient environment for incorporation of new methods and models that will be required in fu ture problem scenarios. The development of such kind of flexible software is a challenging and expensive task. One way to achieve these goals is to in vest much work in the design and implementation of generic software tools which can be used in a wide range of application fields. In order to provide a forum where researchers could present and discuss their contributions to the described development, an International Work shop on Modern Software Tools for Scientific Computing was arranged in Oslo, Norway, September 16-18, 1996. This workshop, informally referred to as Sci Tools '96, was a collaboration between SINTEF Applied Mathe matics and the Departments of Informatics and Mathematics at the Uni versity of Oslo.

Software engineering research can trace its roots to a few highly influential individuals. Among that select group is Leon J. Osterweil, who has been a major force in driving software engineering from its infancy to its modern reality. For more than three decades, Prof. Osterweil's work has fundamentally defined or significantly impacted major directions in software analysis, development tools and environments, and software process--all critical parts of software engineering as it is practiced today. His exceptional contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards and honors through his career, including the ACM SIGSOFT Outstanding Research Award, in recognition of his extensive and sustained research impact, and the ACM SIGSOFT Influential Educator Award, in recognition of his career-long achievements as an educator and mentor. In honor of Prof. Osterweil's profound accomplishments, this book was prepared for a special honorary event held during the 2011 International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE). It contains some of his most important published works to date, together with several new articles written by leading authorities in the field, exploring the broad impact of his work in the past and how it will further impact software engineering research in the future. These papers, part of the core software engineering legacy and now available in one commented volume for the first time, are grouped into three sections: flow analysis for software dependability, the software lifecycle, and software process.