title: Significant digits: foundations, myths and utilization.
abstract: Scientific text books, journal articles, and all types of other sources of scientific information frequently give certain recommendations and/or make statements of presumed fact concerning the issue of significant digits in scientific computation. Most of these "well-known" facts concerning significance in computation are false. This article discusses the folklore of significant digits, debunks the common cliches, illustrates the actual behavior of computational significance in a typical scenario, and makes recommendations concerning these matters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Auburn University, Montgomery, AL 36117-3596, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chambless
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Broadway
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006283:Health Physics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011827:Radiation