Make 32-bit Applications Work on a 64-bit Operating System

This is what I encountered when trying to run Prof. David Lowe's SIFT detector in 64-bit ubuntu. The binary code of sift is compiled in 32-bit machine. So, you need to do the following things to make his code run for you.

It is possible to install and use 32-bit software on a 64-bit computer in different ways:

• Installation of 32-bit compatibility libraries (ia32-libs or Multiarch support)
• A 32-bit chroot
• Full virtualization through KVM or VirtualBox
• Another option in a pinch is getlibs getlibs
  
  Also take a look at the reference here:
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/32bit_and_64bit