# Kahan summation algorithm

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. An algorithm that significantly reduces the numerical error in the total obtained by adding a sequence of finite-precision floating-point numbers, compared to the obvious approach, by tracking the accumulated small errors in a separate variable.

## Etymology
The algorithm is attributed to Canadian mathematician William Kahan (born 1933).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kahan-summation-algorithm