01 · The idea
In everyday language
Computers represent numbers with finite precision. James Wilkinson studied the small rounding errors that accumulate in numerical calculations, especially in linear algebra. Backward error analysis asks whether a computed answer is the exact solution to a nearby problem. This separates the behaviour of an algorithm from a problem’s sensitivity to its input.
Why it matters
Reliable numerical software needs an account of accuracy as well as speed. Wilkinson gave that account a rigorous foundation.
