Rounding error using low precision approximate random variables

Abstract: For numerical approximations to stochastic differential equations using the Euler-Maruyama scheme, we propose incorporating approximate random variables computed using low precisions, such as single and half precision. We propose and justify a model for the rounding error incurred, and produce an average case error bound for two and four way differences, appropriate for regular and nested multilevel Monte Carlo estimations. By considering the variance structure of multilevel Monte Carlo correction terms in various precisions with and without a Kahan compensated summation, we compute the potential speed ups offered from the various precisions. We find single precision offers the potential for approximate speed improvements by a factor of 7 across a wide span of discretisation levels. Half precision offers comparable improvements for several levels of coarse simulations, and even offers improvements by a factor of 10-12 for the very coarsest few levels.