ESAIM: Proceedings and Surveys (Sep 2014)

First steps towards more numerical reproducibility*

  • Jézéquel Fabienne,
  • Langlois Philippe,
  • Revol Nathalie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/proc/201445023
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 45
pp. 229 – 238

Abstract

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Questions whether numerical simulation is reproducible or not have been reported in several sensitive applications. Numerical reproducibility failure mainly comes from the finite precision of computer arithmetic. Results of floating-point computation depends on the computer arithmetic precision and on the order of arithmetic operations. Massive parallel HPC which merges, for instance, many-core CPU and GPU, clearly modifies these two parameters even from run to run on a given computing platform. How to trust such computed results? This paper presents how three classic approaches in computer arithmetic may provide some first steps towards more numerical reproducibility.