1.2 - Errors in Numerical Methods
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Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
Calculate the absolute error if the exact value is 50 and the approximate value is 48.
💡 Hint: Remember to subtract the approximate value from the exact value.
What does relative error indicate?
💡 Hint: Think of it as a percentage of the exact value.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
What is absolute error?
💡 Hint: Think of it as a simple subtraction.
Round-off errors occur because numbers are represented with limited precision in computers.
💡 Hint: Recall how computers can't store all numbers exactly.
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Challenge Problems
Push your limits with advanced challenges
Given an exact number of 200 and an approximate value of 195, calculate both the absolute and relative errors. Discuss what these errors imply about the approximation.
💡 Hint: Calculate the absolute error first, then use it to find the relative error.
Consider a function that uses the trapezoidal rule for integration. If using 5 intervals gives an approximation of 12.5 while the exact integral is 15, evaluate the truncation error and discuss possible improvements to the method.
💡 Hint: Look at how many intervals you can use to make a more precise calculation.
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