Supercomputers and Mathematical Modeling

The rise of supercomputers and the role in mathematical modeling is discussed with examples from error dynamics, electronic circuits and numerical linear algebra.The supercomputer has been variously defined as: 1.A computer with the fastest processor able to address the most memory.2.A computer with the capability only one order of magnitude less than current scientific/ technological requirements.3.A computer that cost ten million dollars. Though definition 2 may be whimsical, and definition 3 perhaps facetious, a glance at figure 1 indicates that definitions 1 and 3 seem to jibe at least in recent times. That definition two is also valid remains to be seen. In any case definition 1 implies that supercomputers have always existed although the term is of recent coinage.