                        LASPack (version 1.12.2)

                             Tomas Skalicky
		   (skalicky@msmfs1.mw.tu-dresden.de)

                     last revision: August 13, 1995

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LASPack is a package for solving large sparse systems of linear equations
like those which arise from discretization of partial differential equations.

Main features:

- The primary aim of LASPack is the implementation of efficient iterative
  methods for the solution of systems of linear equations. All routines and
  data structures are optimized for effective usage of resources especially
  with regard to large sparse matrices. The package can be accessed from
  an application through a straightforward interface defined in the form
  of procedure calls.

- Beside the obligatory Jacobi, succesive over-relaxation, Chebyshev, and
  conjugate gradient solvers, LASPack contains selected state-of-the-art
  algorithms which are commonly used for large sparse systems:

  - CG-like methods for non-symmetric systems: CGN, GMRES, BiCG, QMR, CGS, and
    BiCGStab,
  - multilevel methods such as multigrid and conjugate gradient method
    preconditioned by multigrid and BPX preconditioners.

  All above solvers are applicable not only to the positive definite or
  non-symmetric matrices, but are also adopted for singular systems
  (e.g. arising from discretization of Neumann boundary value problems).

- The implementation is based on an object-oriented approach (although it
  has been programmed in C). Vectors and matrices are defined as new data
  types in connection with the corresponding supporting routines.
  The basic operations are implemented so that they allow the programming
  of linear algebra algorithms in a natural way.

- LASPack is extensible in a simple manner. An access to the internal
  representation of vectors and matrices is not necessary and is, as required
  of the object-oriented programming, avoided. This allows an improvement
  of algorithms or a modification of data structures with no adjustment
  of application programs using the package.

- LASPack is written in ANSI C and is thus largely portable.


A complete description of the package (including the installation procedure)
you may find in LASPack Reference Manual in the following postscript files:

    laspack/doc/laspack1.ps
    laspack/doc/laspack2.ps

A HTML version of the manual is also available available at:

    laspack/html/laspack.html

or
    
    http://www.tu-dresden.de/mwism/skalicky/laspack/laspack.html
