What is the effect of numerical analysis programs on the results of scientific research? What is the extent to which these programs can be considered as a real tool for evaluation and comparison with practical results?
Of course the language of mathematics is superior to the art language specially in the scientific research which gets more benefits from numerical analysis.
Previously, result in only % or mean with Standard Error worked for publication in good journals. But now a days no good journal will accept any article without other parameters like P value , Superscription of letter for denoting similarity etc. in data table and analysis.
Many software are there for such works (like SPSS).
We have to accept the change, as technology advances everyday!
Numerical analysis programs are the basis for analyzing the data and results of engineering research, on the basis of which the results of the evaluation and conclusions of the research are based.
The accuracy depends on the problem conditions, type of equations, the selected method and algorithem, the sophistication of the computer and platform. many variables are involved, and still some times it is the only resort.
The numerical analysis is much important because its facilate to understanding the idea of the research and its consider the base on witch the conclusions of the scientific research build on ,, Best regards ,, Jawad ,Ali
It depends on the scientific research that we are doing. The effect of numerical analysis programs is for some research essential because it is the only way for doing scientific research. It can be just an illustration of the results obtained analytically. So, the programs can be considered if there is no analytical way to get a result or in order to validate analytical results.
Zhitnikov V. P., Sherykhalina N.M., Sokolova A.A. Problem of Reliability Justification of Computation Error Estimates. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2015, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 65 – 78. Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s4p65.
Especially in the study of multi-extremal problems in which the objective function can be represented only algorithmically the only tool for carrying out the study is a program of numerical analysis (I am sorry for bad English).
For many practical mathematical modelling problems, for example,
weather forecasting, design of aircraft, testing structures
to be built in an earthquake zone, etc. analytical solutions
to the resultant modelling equations do not exist. Indeed,
for some very simple problems, for example, the evaluation
of definite integrals and the solution of a general single
non-linear equation, there is no simple form function that
particular values of the free parameters (e.g., the limits of
the integration) can be plugged into to obtain a resultant
value. In such circumstances we are forced to use numerical
approximations to obtain our `solutions'. In general numerical
analysis/algorithms/software provides us with the ability
to generate a specific solution to a specific problem; i.e.,
we provide numerical values that define a particular problem
(generally just one of an infinite number of possibilities)
and the numerical software returns a numerical approximation
to his problem. For example, you provide the numerical values
for the coefficient matrix and the right hand side vector
that defines a system of linear equations and the software
will return a vector of numbers that are an approximation to
the solution vector. If we change one of the model parameters
(e.g., one of the matrix coefficients) we have to repeat the
computation to generate a further numerical solution.
The skill in producing numerical software is being able to
generate algorithms and implementations of algorithms (code)
that solves a general class of mathematical problems to a
guaranteed accuracy. Typically a user will have a desired
accuracy in mind which is problem dependent and which could
depend on, for example, the accuracy of the problem defining
parameters; the user then expects the results returned by the
software to be within that tolerance. In most situations the
higher the required accuracy the longer the computed solution
takes to compute; hence, asking for low accuracy where this
is acceptable can save resources.
It is also useful if the software is able to detect problems
that it is not designed to solve, for example, in the
solution of linear equations if the software is not designed
to detect coefficient matrices that are `close to singular'
then misleading results may be generated. (For more details
of this problem look at condition number estimation in Lapack.)
There is an `art' to generating numerical algorithms and
implementing them; there is also an art to using them. Users
who have little or no experience in numerical problem solving
need to tread carefully. Certainly such users should not,
in general, be writing their ow codes. For a multitude of
practical problems, off the shelf software is available and
should be used -- with caution! Try out the software on simple
problems to start with to gain experience in setting up the
user defined parameters; only when you feel confident that you
understand how to use the software correctly should you move
to more complex (useful) problems. Only ever think of writing
your own when all else fails.
Many practical problems can be solved quickly and easily using
freely available numerical packages/libraries. However, you,
the user, are responsible for checking that the results are
plausible, correct and (hopefully) a good approximation to
the problem you originally wanted to solve.
So the answer to your original question is that if used correctly and effectively numerical analysis programs are extremely important to scientific research as they are often the only means available to gain any insight into a multitude of important problems.