CORRIGENDA Volume 37, June 1999 In "The Numerical Reliability of Econometric Software", by B. D. McCullough and H. D. Vinod, there are misprints in some equations on page 647 in the upper part of the left-hand column. The passage should read as follows: The normal equations are 6?^ + 61.5? ^ =...

Sometimes numerical failure of an econometric software package is quite stark: a nonlinear procedure fails to converge; illegal arguments to a function cause an abnormal end; matrices cannot be inverted. Other times a package fails without warning, and these types of failures are particularly...

This essay examines the role of data and program-code archives in making economic research 'replicable.' Replication of published results is recognized as an essential part of the scientific method. Yet, historically, both the 'demand for' and 'supply of' replicable results in economics has been...

Numerous examples show that some econometric software packages contain serious flaws, and that users cannot safely assume that their software is accurate. A brief survey of the fundamentals of computer arithmetic discusses the sources of numerical error and emphasizes that computer arithmetic is...

Bruce describes his methodology for testing the accuracy of statistical software, analyzes Microsoft's track record for providing useful software for forecasting, then concludes with warnings, faults, and workarounds to help deal with these challenges. Copyright International Institute of...