bool setDefaultInitialConditionFromNominalValues(
  const Thyra::ModelEvaluator<Scalar>& model,
  const Ptr<StepperBase<Scalar> >& stepper
  )
{

  typedef ScalarTraits<Scalar> ST;
  typedef Thyra::ModelEvaluatorBase MEB;

  if (isInitialized(*stepper))
    return false;  // Already has an initial condition
  
  MEB::InArgs<Scalar> initCond = model.getNominalValues();

  if (!is_null(initCond.get_x())) {
    // IC has x, we will assume that initCont.get_t() is the valid start time.
    // Therefore, we just need to check that x_dot is also set or we will
    // create a zero x_dot
#ifdef RYTHMOS_DEBUG
    THYRA_ASSERT_VEC_SPACES( "setInitialConditionIfExists(...)", 
      *model.get_x_space(), *initCond.get_x()->space() );
#endif
    if (initCond.supports(MEB::IN_ARG_x_dot)) {
      if (is_null(initCond.get_x_dot())) {
        const RCP<Thyra::VectorBase<Scalar> > x_dot =
          createMember(model.get_x_space());
        assign(x_dot.ptr(), ST::zero());
      }
      else {
#ifdef RYTHMOS_DEBUG
        THYRA_ASSERT_VEC_SPACES( "setInitialConditionIfExists(...)", 
          *model.get_x_space(), *initCond.get_x_dot()->space() );
#endif
      }
    }
    stepper->setInitialCondition(initCond);
    return true;
  }

  // The model has not nominal values for which to set the initial
  // conditions so wo don't do anything!  The stepper will still have not
  return false;

}
RCP<Thyra::VectorBase<Scalar> > computeArea(
    const Thyra::ModelEvaluator<Scalar>& me, 
    const TimeRange<Scalar>& tr, 
    const GaussQuadrature1D<Scalar>& gq
    ) {
  typedef Teuchos::ScalarTraits<Scalar> ST;
  RCP<Thyra::VectorBase<Scalar> > area = Thyra::createMember(me.get_x_space());
  V_S(outArg(*area),ST::zero());
  RCP<const TimeRange<Scalar> > sourceRange = gq.getRange();
  RCP<const Array<Scalar> > sourcePts = gq.getPoints();
  RCP<const Array<Scalar> > sourceWts = gq.getWeights();
  Array<Scalar> destPts(*sourcePts);
  for (unsigned int i=0 ; i<sourcePts->size() ; ++i) {
    destPts[i] = translateTimeRange<Scalar>((*sourcePts)[i],*sourceRange,tr);
  }
  Scalar r = tr.length()/sourceRange->length();
  for (unsigned int i=0 ; i<destPts.size() ; ++i) {
    RCP<Thyra::VectorBase<Scalar> > tmpVec = eval_f_t<Scalar>(me,destPts[i]);
    Vp_StV(outArg(*area),r*(*sourceWts)[i],*tmpVec);
  }
  return area;
}