rounding error catastrophes

[David G Hough at validgh]

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From: Douglas Arnold <dnaapsu.edu>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 10:43:37 -0400
Subject: Re: Query About Rounding Error

I'll take the opportunity of Pete Stewart's query concerning real-life
embarrassments due to rounding error to mention that I have a web page,
http://www.math.psu.edu/dna/disasters/, on real-life disasters
attributable to bad numerics, It reports on the failure of the Patriot
Missile battery at Dharan, which is directly attributable to
accumulation of round-off errors, and also on the explosion of the
Ariane 5, which was caused by an overflow, and the loss of the Sleipner
offshore platform, which was due to bad finite element technology. In
each case I studied the investigative reports, but just posted a small
summary to whet the appetites of my students.

I would be interesting to hear of other events that fit this
description.  I find that these can be great student motivators.

Doug Arnold
dnaapsu.edu