The condition number of a matrix describes how sensitive it is to errors in the right-side vector when solving systems of equations. The factorization classes can calculate an estimate of the reciprocal condition number. When this number is near 1, the matrix is said to be well-conditioned. When the reciprocal condition number is near 0, the matrix is ill-conditioned. The solutions obtained for ill-conditioned matrices may not be very accurate. Consult a linear algebra text for more information on conditioning. You compute the condition number like this:

To compute the condition, the factorization class must do a little extra work while constructing the factorization; it must compute the norm of the system matrix. If you know that you will not need the condition number, you can save some computation by using the optional bool parameter on the factorization constructor. See the SourcePro API Reference Guide for details.