The approximation error in some data is the discrepancy between an exact value and some approximation to it. An approximation error can occur because
- the measurement of the data is not precise due to the instruments. (e.g., the accurate reading of a piece of paper is 4.5 cm but since the ruler does not use decimals, you round it to 5 cm.) or
- approximations are used instead of the real data (e.g., 3.14 instead of π).
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, the numerical stability of an algorithm in numerical analysis indicates how the error is propagated by the algorithm.
Read more about Approximation Error: Overview, Definitions, Instruments
Famous quotes containing the word error:
“You can hardly convince a man of an error in a life-time, but must content yourself with the reflection that the progress of science is slow. If he is not convinced, his grandchildren may be. The geologists tell us that it took one hundred years to prove that fossils are organic, and one hundred and fifty more to prove that they are not to be referred to the Noachian deluge.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)