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C for numerical computing

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Abstract

The predominant programming language for numerical and scientific applications is Fortran, and super-computers are primarily used to run large-scale numerical and scientific applications. C is not widely used for numerical and scientific programming, yet C provides many desirable linguistic features not present in Fortran-77. Furthermore, the existence of a standard library and preprocessor eliminates the worst portability problems. A comparison of C and Fortran-77 shows several key deficiencies in C that reduce its desirability for some numerical problems. Some of these problems have already been addressed by the new ANSI standard for C, but others remain. C with a few extensions and modifications could be suitable for all numerical applications and could become more popular in supercomputing environments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cray Research, Inc., 655F Lone Oak Drive, 55121, Eagan, MN, USA

    Tom Macdonald

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  1. Tom Macdonald
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Macdonald, T. C for numerical computing. J Supercomput 5, 31–48 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00155856

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00155856

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