Elements of Scientific Computing

In the past decades, computer performance has increased dramatically and is still doing so, putting tremendous power at the fingertips of every computer user. Many of these capabilities are used for new and complex functions and for a (hopefully) better user interface, but also sometimes wasted for questionable gadgets. Unfortunately, in the same time frame little has been done to increase the confidence in the answers computers produce in the scientific field, because, so far, computer designers are much more motivated by mass market needs than by scientific requirements. With the circuit densities achievable on computer chips today and with ‘clean’ architectures already in place, only very little additional effort would have to be spent to provide the means to allow computers to deliver results with guamntees, i.e. with verified accuracy.