Practice question · Multiple choice
A numerical simulation with a smaller time step is usually more accurate but not always. Why does shrinking the step eventually stop helping?
Hints
- Count the operations as the step halves.
- Two different error sources move in opposite directions.
Show the answer
C. Accumulated rounding error from more floating-point steps
Why
Truncation error falls with step size while round-off accumulates with step count. The total has a minimum, and going below it makes the answer worse.
Practise Simulation and numerical experimentation
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