The process of approximating a quantity, be it for convenience or, as in the case of numerical computations, of necessity. If rounding is performed on each of a series of numbers in a long computation, roundoff error can become important, especially if division by a small number ever occurs.
Rounding
See also
Nearest Integer Function, Round Number, Roundoff Error, Shadowing Theorem Explore this topic in the MathWorld classroomExplore with Wolfram|Alpha
References
Mulliss, C. "Significant Figures and Rounding Rules." http://www.angelfire.com/oh/cmulliss/.Wilkinson, J. H. Rounding Errors in Algebraic Processes. New York: Dover, 1994.Referenced on Wolfram|Alpha
RoundingCite this as:
Weisstein, Eric W. "Rounding." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Rounding.html