User:Jmath666/Scientific computation
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Scientific computation or scientific computing refers to the use of computers to solve scientific problems using mathematical methods. A number of names are used by different communities for overlapping fields within this area.
- Numerical analysis deals with the properties of numerical schemes for solving mathematical problems, such as systems of equations and formal proofs. Also called numerical mathematics. Considered part of Computational mathematics as well as Computer science.
- Computer science originally started as mathematical research into computation. This is now called theoretical computer science. Computer science itself is currently an engineering discipline developing software tools and applications with corresponding computer and networking hardware. The hardware development side overlaps with electronics and electrical engineering.
The boundaries between the following terms are fuzzy and all of those terms have been used by some groups as synonyms for the scientific computation itself. Some of the names have been associated with research programs at U.S. funding agencies.
- Computational mathematics refers to the mathematical research related to computation. It is considered the theoretical side of scientific computation, and also a part of mathematics. Essentially the Mathematics of scientific computation.
- Supercomputing deals with the efficient use of the most powerful computers available at the time. Also called Large scale computation and High performance computing.
- Computational science and engineering deals with research in science and engineering made possible by computation and replacing physical experiments by simulations. Also called computational science, computational engineering, large scale simulation, engineering simulation, etc.