Number type
Passing Float64
or Float32
to the grid constructor causes the grid to store all numbers with 64-bit or 32-bit floating point precision.
When not using Float64
be careful to not mix different precisions as it could introduce implicit type conversions which can negatively effect performance. You can pass the number type desires to many constructors to enforce the type you want: e.g. RectilinearGrid(CPU(), Float32; size=(16, 16, 16), extent=(1, 1, 1))
and ScalarDiffusivity(Float16; κ=1//7, ν=2//7)
.
While we run many tests with both Float32
and Float64
it is not clear whether Float32
is precise enough to provide similar accuracy in all use cases. If accuracy is a concern, stick to Float64
.
We will be actively investigating the possibility of using lower precision floating point numbers such as Float32
and Float16
for fluid dynamics as well as the use of alternative number types such as Posits and Sonums.