Some Sources of Error in Cem Modeling and Simulation

The modeling and solution of large-scale problems in computational electromagnetics (CEM) requires the application of the right tool for the right job in order to minimize the potential for error generation and propagation during each step of the process. The subtleties of this issue are associated with knowing where sources of error can arise, how to quantify them, and what methods can be used to control errors. Sources of error can be categorized as procedural, model-limited, technique-limited, problem dependent, numerical, and interpretive. These by no means represent a complete taxonomy of error sources in CEM, but provide a means of better understanding error budgets and how these may be controlled. This article provides a brief overview of some of the sources of error to be mindful of and the potential pitfalls that may lend to computational uncertainty.