On the Numerical Accuracy of Spreadsheets
Abstract
This paper discusses the numerical precision of five spreadsheets (Calc, Excel, Gnumeric, NeoOffice and Oleo) running on two hardware platforms (i386 and amd64) and on three operating systems (Windows Vista, Ubuntu Intrepid and Mac OS Leopard). The methodology consists of checking the number of correct significant digits returned by each spreadsheet when computing the sample mean, standard deviation, first-order autocorrelation, F statistic in ANOVA tests, linear and nonlinear regression and distribution functions. A discussion about the algorithms for pseudorandom number generation provided by these platforms is also conducted. We conclude that there is no safe choice among the spreadsheets here assessed: they all fail in nonlinear regression and they are not suited for Monte Carlo experiments.Download Info
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Article provided by American Statistical Association in its journal Journal of Statistical Software.
Volume (Year): 34 ()
Issue (Month): i04 ()
Pages:
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Web page: http://www.jstatsoft.org/
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References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Yalta, A. Talha, 2007.
"The Numerical Reliability of GAUSS 8.0,"
The American Statistician,
American Statistical Association, vol. 61, pages 262-268, August.
- A. Talha Yalta, 2010. "The Numerical Reliability of GAUSS 8.0," Working Papers 1004, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Department of Economics.
- McCullough, B. D., 2000. "Is it safe to assume that software is accurate?," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 349-357.
- A. Talha Yalta, 2010. "The Accuracy of Statistical Distributions in Microsoft (R) Excel 2007," Working Papers 1006, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Department of Economics.
- A. Talha Yalta & A. Yasemin Yalta, 2010.
"Gretl 1.6.0 and Its Numerical Accuracy,"
Working Papers
1003, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Department of Economics.
- A. Talha Yalta & A. Yasemin Yalta, 2007. "GRETL 1.6.0 and its numerical accuracy," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(4), pages 849-854.
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