Kahan summation algorithm

proper noun

An algorithm that significantly reduces the numerical error in the total obtained by adding a sequence of finite-precision floating-point numbers, compared to the obvious approach, by tracking the accumulated small errors in a separate variable.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. numerical analysisAn algorithm that significantly reduces the numerical error in the total obtained by adding a sequence of finite-precision floating-point numbers, compared to the obvious approach, by tracking the accumulated small errors in a separate variable.

Origin

The algorithm is attributed to Canadian mathematician William Kahan (born 1933).

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Cite this entry
APA

Kahan summation algorithm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kahan%20summation%20algorithm

MLA

“Kahan summation algorithm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kahan%20summation%20algorithm. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kahan summation algorithm,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kahan%20summation%20algorithm.

Source: Kahan summation algorithm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.