BIB-VERSION:: CS-TR-v2.0
          ID:: STAN//CS-TR-66-40
       ENTRY:: January 19, 1996
ORGANIZATION:: Stanford University, Department of Computer Science
       TITLE:: How do you solve a quadratic equation?
        TYPE:: Technical Report
      AUTHOR:: Forsythe, George E.
        DATE:: June 1966
       PAGES:: 20
    ABSTRACT:: The nature of the floating-point number system of digital
               computers is explained to a reader whose university
               mathematical background is very limited. The possibly large
               errors in using mathematical algorithms blindly with
               floating-point computation are illustrated by the formula for
               solving a quadratic equation. An accurate way of solving a
               quadratic is outlined. A few general remarks are made about
               computational mathematics, including the backwards analysis
               of rounding error.
       NOTES:: [Adminitrivia V1/Prg/19960119]
         END:: STAN//CS-TR-66-40