NUMERICAL METHODS WITH

APPLICATIONS
(MEC500)

DR. ROSHAKIMAH BINTI MOHD ISA

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
OFFICE: T2-A14-7C
E-MAIL: ROSHAKIMAH@UITM.EDU.MY
Outcomes of Chapter 1
1. Describe numerical techniques as compared to analytical methods
2. Perform error analysis associated with numerical methods
3. Use Taylor series expansion to approximate a function
Learning outcomes
1. Understanding the distinction between accuracy and precision.
2. Learning how to quantify error.
3. Learning how error estimates can be used to decide when to
terminate an iterative calculation.
4. Understanding how round-off errors occur because digital
computers have a limited ability to represent numbers.
5. Understanding why floating-point numbers have limits on their
range and precision.
 1. Accuracy vs. precision
Systematic error

Accuracy
Uncertainty
Trueness

Precision in numerical
method is referred to the
consistency of the
estimates to be closed to
each other.
Accuracy is the measure
of closeness of the
estimate to the target.

Precision
Random error
2. Quantifying Error
When the true value of the quantity is known, the error is quantified in two
different but related ways.

True value = Approximation + Error

True Error = True value – Approximation

Present approximation = Previous approximation + Approximate Error

Approximate Error = Present approximation - Previous approximation

which defines the error as the difference between the true value and the
approximation or present approximation and the previous approximation.
2. Quantifying error:
(1) True error (Absolute)
Let x denote an exact (or true) value and x* denote an approximate (or
estimated) value or simply an approximation. We may then express the
relation,

Et  x  x *

Eg: Et of 0.01 in measurement of the distance to the moon or in

diameter of a piston in a cylinder does not reflect the degree of its
influence.
do not suggest the significant or scale of the error, though, both have
the same the value of the absolute error.
In view of this limitation, the second way of quantifying the error is
introduced.
2. Quantifying error:
(2) True error (Relative)
x  x*
Et ,rel 
x
Note that the absolute error is normalized or scaled with respect to (or
relative to) the true value so that the influence of the error can be
significantly interpreted. Usually, the relative error is expressed in terms
of percentage, that is
(True) Percent relative error :

x  x*
t  x100%
x
2. Quantifying error:
(3) Approximate error (Relative)
In the absent of the true value (which is usually the case in numerical
methods), the following error calculation is employed.
(Approximate) Relative error:
x new  x old
Ea 
x new
xnew denote a present (or new) approximation.
xold denote a previous (or old) approximation.
or in the percentage form, the approximate percent relative error is
x new  x old
a  new
x100%
x
3. Decide when to terminate an
iterative calculation
In employing the numerical methods, particularly the iterative approaches,
we are basically interested in whether the absolute value of the
approximate percent relative error,  a is less than the prespecified
tolerance,  s (or desired accuracy) that is
a  s
The desired accuracy or prespecified tolerance, s is defined as

 s  (0.5x10 2 p )%
If  a   s is satisfied, the approximation is said to be accurate at least to p
(significant digits).
Significant Digits
Introduction: before discussing the errors associated with numerical
methods, it is useful to review basic concepts related to approximate
representation of the numbers themselves.
those digits (or numbers) that can be used with confident plus one
estimated digit. For example: 100 / 110 / 120 metal sheet

100 110 120

metal sheet
Significant Digits
Number Significant Digits
2.347 4
1.6520 5
189.708 6
0.0012 2
0.001200 4

The reasonable number of significant digits in calculations should be

determined from the relative error required in the final answer.
*Rule does not apply to conversion factors and exact numbers
4. Error in Numerical Methods
Numerical Methods are techniques by which mathematical problems are
formulated so that they can be solved with arithmetic operations.
Numerical Method is an approximate method
Solution is not exact! Errors!!!!!

Round-off error: discrepancy introduced by the omission of significant figures in

number representation
Truncation error: result from using an approximation in place of an exact
mathematical procedure

How confident we are in our approximate result?

The question is “how much error is present in our calculation and is it tolerable?”
4. Error in Numerical Methods
(a) Round-off error
The accuracy of the numerical computation depends on a particular
method used and on its ease of implementation on the computer (i.e.
accuracy and limitations of the computer).
A computer is used for two functions in regard to numerical
computation:
◦ to store numbers
◦ to perform arithmetic operations.

Computer can only store a finite number of digits. The remaining digits
are either chopped off or rounded off.
This finite number representation in the computer leads to an
unavoidable error called a round-off error.
4. Error in Numerical Methods
(b) TRUNCATION ERROR

In performing arithmetic operations, only certain digits are usually

retained in order to get an approximate solution.
Several digits are truncated or omitted. These truncated digits lead to
what is called a truncation error.

Thus, numerical errors arise from the use of approximation to represent

exact quantities and mathematical operation

Numerical error = round-off error + truncation error

4. Error in Numerical Methods
Total Numerical Error
The total numerical error is the summation of the truncation and round-
off errors.
◦ The truncation error generally increases as the step size increases.
◦ Round off error decreases as the step size increases
4. Error in Numerical Methods
Other ERRORs
Other errors (not directly related to numerical method but will effect the
model):
Blunder (or gross error) : due to computer malfunctions (highly unlikely
now!) & human imperfection.
Formulation/model error : incomplete mathematical model – poorly
conceived model.
Data uncertainty : uncertainty in the physical data upon which a model is
based.

Why measure errors?

To determine the accuracy of numerical results.
To develop stopping criteria for iterative algorithms
Example 1
mtrue mapprox
f
f(x)

h
x0 x
x0 + h

Figure 1-7: First derivative of a function

f ( x0  h)  f ( x0 )
mapprox  f ' ( x0 ) 
h
We observe that when h : mapprox less accurate
(truncation error)

h : mapprox
more accurate
But, when h is too small, REr dominates. This observation
suggests that there must be an optimum value of h .
5. Floating-point numbers range and
precision.
Evaluate the polynomial
and
At . Use 3 digit arithmetic with chopping.

1.99 1.96

Different end value

Summary
Round off error (REr) is an error introduced in representation of
a given number by a computer. It usually becomes a limiting factor
when small changes in certain input parameters result in relatively
large deviations of output. It is likely to occur when the relative
magnitude of the numbers involved in the calculations differs
significantly and when two nearly identical numbers are subtracted
from each other.

Truncation error (TEr) is an error introduced by approximating

some ideal mathematical functions in a simpler form. It usually stems
from the computational method used and is dictated by the desired
accuracy in the computations.