Ensuring numerical quality in grid computing

We propose an approach which gives the user valuable information on the various platforms avail able in a grid in order to assess the numerical quality of an algorithm run on each of these platforms. In this manner, the user is provided with at least very strong hints whether a program performs reliably in a grid before actually executing it. Our approach extends IeeeCC754 by two "grid-enabled" modes: The first mode calculates a "numerical checksum" on a specific grid host and executes the job only if the check sum is identical to a locally generated one. The second mode provides the user with information on the reliability and IEEE 754-conformity of the underlying floating-point implementation of various platforms. In addition, it can help to find a set of compiler options to optimize the application's performance while retaining numerical stability