***** SPOOLES 2.2 : SParse Object Oriented Linear Equations Solver *****
===============================================================================
SPOOLES is a library for solving sparse real and complex linear systems of
equations, written in the C language using object oriented design. At present,
there is the following functionality:
   1. Compute multiple minimum degree, generalized nested dissection and
      multisection orderings of matrices with symmetric structure.
   2. Factor and solve square linear systems of equations with symmetric
      structure, with or without pivoting for stability. The factorization can
      be symmetric LDLT, Hermitian LDLH, or nonsymmetric LDU. A direct
      factorization or a drop tolerance factorization can be computed. The
      factors and solve can be done in serial mode, multithreaded with Solaris
      or POSIX threads, or with MPI.
   3. Factor and solve overdetermined full rank systems of equations using a
      multifrontal QR factorization, in serial or using POSIX threads.
   4. Solve square linear systems using a variety of Krylov iterative methods.
      The preconditioner is a drop tolerance factorization, with or without
      pivoting for stability.

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The SPOOLES library has been developed by members of the Mathematics and
Engineering Analysis Unit of Boeing Phantom Works. The library was supported in
part by DARPA contract DABT63-95-C-0122 and the DoD High Performance Computing
Modernization Program Common HPC Software Support Initiative.
Individuals who have contributed to this package include:
   1. Cleve Ashcraft, Boeing Phantom Works
   2. Roger Grimes, Boeing Phantom Works
   3. Joseph Liu, York University
   4. Jim Patterson, Boeing Phantom Works
   5. Dan Pierce, Boeing Phantom Works
   6. Yichi Pierce, Boeing Phantom Works
   7. Peter Schartz, CSAR Corporation
   8. Juergen Schulze, University of Paderborn
   9. Wei-Pai Tang, University of Waterloo
  10. David Wah, Boeing Phantom Works
  11. Jason Wu, Boeing Phantom Works
This release is entirely within the public domain; there are no licensing
restrictions, and there is no warranty of any sort.
Contact cleve.ashcraft@boeing.com for more information, comments and bug
reports.

===============================================================================
The library is available as a gzip'd, tar'd file that contains the entire
source, drivers and LaTeX documentation. There are seven Postscript files that
contain documentation.
   1. install.ps.gz --- "SPOOLES 2.2 Installation Manual", 7 pages, describes
      the library's structure and installation procedures.
   2. ReferenceManual.ps.gz --- "The Reference Manual for SPOOLES, Release 2.2:
      An Object Oriented Software Library for Solving Sparse Linear Systems of
      Equations", over 400 pages, every object, method and driver is
      documented.
   3. fronttrees.ps.gz --- "Ordering Sparse Matrices and Transforming Front
      Trees", 20, pages, describes the different ordering methods in the
      library and the effect of the front trees on performance.
   4. LinSol.ps.gz --- "Wrapper Objects for Solving a Linear System of
      Equations using SPOOLES 2.2", 58 pages, provides the most gentle
      introduction to the library, documents a set of software objects written
      to incorporate the SPOOLES linear solver into the CSAR-Nastran finite
      element software package.
   5. AllInOne.ps.gz --- "Solving Linear Systems using SPOOLES 2.2", 54 pages,
      contains example programs with commentary, a general introduction to the
      library, much more detail than the "Wrapper Objects" document immediately
      above.
   6. Eigen.ps.gz --- "Integrating the SPOOLES 2.2 Sparse Linear Algebra
      Library into the LANCZOS Block-Shifted Lanczos Eigensolver", 42 pages,
      documents a set of software objects written to incorporate the SPOOLES
      linear solver into an eigenanalysis package, also funded by DARPA
      contract DABT63-95-C-0122 and the DoD High Performance Computing
      Modernization Program Common HPC Software Support Initiative.
   7. PP99.ps.gz "SPOOLES: An Object-Oriented Sparse Matrix Library", a paper
      to be included in the Proceedings of the 1999 SIAM Conference on Parallel
      Processing for Scientific Computing, March 22-27, 1999.
   8. spooles.2.2.tar.gz --- gzip'd, tar'd file of library

===============================================================================
Changes since the 2.0 release.
   1. Semi-implicit factorizations to reduce storage and/or operation counts
      for direct and approximate factorizations. (See the SemiImplMtx
      directory.)
   2. Krylov solvers for real SPD, symmetric indefinite, and nonsymmetric
      linear systems. (See the Iter directory.) The preconditioner is a drop
      tolerance approximate factorization obtained from the FrontMtx object.
      There also exists a simpler ILU drop tolerance factorization in the
      ILUMtx directory.
   3. There is a "patch-and-go" functionality for factorizations that must be
      modified on the fly. One application is found in singular or near
      singular matrices from structural analysis applications. Another
      application is for matrices from interior point methods. In both cases,
      the presence of a zero or small pivot element requires special handling.
   4. There is a "wrapper" object to solve linear systems found in the LinSol
      directory. It was used to incorporate the SPOOLES library into the CSAR-
      Nastran finite element package.
   5. There is a "wrapper" object used in an eigenanalysis package found in the
      Eigen directory.
   6. Several bugs were fixed in the multithreaded and MPI solvers. Users of
      the SPOOLES 2.0 versions should upgrade.
   7. The user manual and reference manual documentation has been reorganized.
      There is a new documentation directory, with five subdirectories:
         1. documentation/Install holds "SPOOLES 2.2 Installation Manual", the
            installation manual.
         2. documentation/AllInOne holds "Solving Linear Systems using SPOOLES
            2.2", the driver programs manual.
         3. documentation/FrontTrees holds "Ordering Sparse Matrices and
            Transforming Front Trees", the ordering manual.
         4. documentation/ReferenceManual holds "The Reference Manual for
            SPOOLES, Release 2.2: An Object Oriented Software Library for
            Solving Sparse Linear Systems of Equations", the complete reference
            manual.
         5. documentation/PP99 holds "SPOOLES: An Object-Oriented Sparse Matrix
            Library", a paper to be included in the Proceedings of the 1999
            SIAM Conference on Parallel Processing for Scientific Computing,
            March 22-27, 1999.

===============================================================================
Changes since the 1.0 release.
   1. Complex linear systems are now supported
   2. Factor storage has been reorganized to improve parallel solves
   3. Several bugs in the MPI solvers have been fixed

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