voula@utcsri.UUCP (Voula Vanneli) (03/28/85)
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE COLLOQUIUM - Tuesday, April 2, 11 am, SF 1105 Professor T. Hull Dept. of Computer Science, University of Toronto "Numerical Turing & the Correctness of Numerical Programming" Coffee and cookies will be served Abstract Numerical Turing is an extension of Turing. The special features which distinguish it from turing will be indicated. These are primarily its "clean" decimal arithmetic and related functions, along with precision control of both variables and operations. Brief mention will also be made of proposed exception facilities. These features provide greater convenience in carrying out the usual numerical calculations. They also make possible the solution of some problems that have hitherto been virtually impossible, such as solving equations to within a user-prescribed accuracy. Numerical Turing programs are also relatively easy to prove correct. This aspect will be emphasized, with the help of a few non-trivial examples.