A device for computing data models, in particular comprising the possibility to detect errors occurring during the computation, has at least two processing units, at least one of the at least two processing units being designed to compute a main data model as a function of at least one state of a system, at least one other of the at least two processing units being designed to compute, as a function of this at least one state of the system, an approximation data model associated with the main data model, the main data model comprising at least one property of the system as a first data model, the approximation data model comprising at least the same property of the system approximately as a second data model, a comparator unit being designed to compare a first result of a first computation of the main data model with a second result of a second computation of the approximation data model associated with the main data model, in order to determine information about a deviation between the first result and the second result, the comparator unit being designed to detect an error as a function of the information about the deviation if the deviation exceeds a maximum admissible deviation.