A Comment on the Eispack Machine Epsilon Routine

Hopkins, Tim and Slater, John (1994) A Comment on the Eispack Machine Epsilon Routine. Technical report. University of Kent, Computing Laboratory, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

Abstract

We analyze the algorithm used to generate the value for the machine epsilon in the Eispack suite of routines and show that it can fail on a binary floating-point system. The comments in the code describing the conditions under which this method will work are not restrictive enough and we provide a replacement set of assumptions. We conclude by suggesting how the algorithm may be modified to overcome most of the shortcomings.

Item Type:	Monograph (Technical report)
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 76 Software, computer programming,
Divisions:	Faculties > Sciences > School of Computing > Systems Architecture Group
Depositing User:	Mark Wheadon
Date Deposited:	13 Aug 2009 18:26 UTC
Last Modified:	28 May 2019 14:00 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/21181 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)