Welcome to the IFIP Working Group 2.5 on Numerical Software

In 1974 the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) established the Working Group on "Numerical Software" under the auspices of its Technical Committee on "Software: Theory and Practice". The group started with 13 members and currently has 22 members. According to IFIP policy, members do not represent their countries, national societies, or the like. The present chair is Ronald Cools.

The aim of Working Group 2.5 is to improve the quality of scientific computation by promoting the development and availability of sound numerical software.

Objectives within the scope of the Working Group 2.5 are:

• Environment. The definition from a numerical standpoint of a set of hardware and software features for a computing system.
• Tools. The development and improvement of programming languages and other tools for numerical computation.
• Algorithms. The establishment of guidelines for the assessment of numerical algorithms and their implementations.
• Software. The establishment of guidelines for the preparation, interoperability, verification, validation, documentation, distribution and maintenance of numerical software.
• Data. The establishment of guidelines for the validation, documentation, preservation, and distribution of numerical data.
• Communication. The exchange of information concerning numerical software and the determination of the needs of computer users.

The following mode of work has been established within WG 2.5:

Working group meetings

The group meets roughly once a year (more than 40 meetings so far). At these meetings, areas of activity and the proper means of achieving results are defined. Reports on current or completed activities are given and discussed. The Working Group has met in several places.

Projects

Most activities take the form of projects. One or several members of the group assume the responsibility to pursue a given subject matter in collaboration with other scientists in the field. Results of projects are either published through standard channels or, in special cases, may take the form of an IFIP-document.

A web page describing these projects is available.

Working Conferences

This is a standard means of IFIP-activity: 50-70 experts meet to discuss and advance a narrow technical subject area. The proceedings of a working conference appears as a book from the IFIP publisher.