Abstract
The tables of functions which formed so important a tool of the older generation of theoretical scientists have been replaced by subprograms, and the professional table makers, who contributed not only a great deal of computational effort, but a frequently unrecognized component of numerical and analytical knowledge and experience, have been superseded by numerical analysts specializing in constructing subprograms.
In this paper, we outline standards for good subprograms. Some of the techniques available for meeting these criteria are illustrated by case histories, and sources for quality function subprograms are considered.
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Dedicated to Lars Onsager on his 70th birthday.
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© 1974 Plenum Press, New York
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Thacher, H.C. (1974). Special Functions in the Computer Era. In: Mintz, S.L., Widmayer, S.M. (eds) Quantum Statistical Mechanics in the Natural Sciences. Studies in the Natural Sciences, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-4532-9_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-4532-9_21
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