PrecisionGoal

Usage

• PrecisionGoal is an option for various numerical operations which specifies how many effective digits of precision should be sought in the final result.

Notes

• PrecisionGoal is an option for such functions as NIntegrate and NDSolve.

• PrecisionGoal -> Automatic normally yields a precision goal equal to half the setting for WorkingPrecision.

• PrecisionGoal -> Infinity specifies that precision should not be used as the criterion for terminating the numerical procedure. AccuracyGoal is typically used in this case.

• Even though you may specify PrecisionGoal->n, the results you get may sometimes have much less than n-digit precision.

• In most cases, you must set WorkingPrecision to be at least as large as PrecisionGoal.

• PrecisionGoal effectively specifies the relative error allowed in a numerical procedure.

• With PrecisionGoal->p and AccuracyGoal->a, Mathematica attempts to make the numerical error in a result of size

be less than

• See Section 3.9.3 and Section 3.9.9.

• See also: AccuracyGoal, WorkingPrecision.

• New in Version 2; modified in 5.