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  <h1>FiPy: A Finite Volume PDE Solver Using Python</h1>
  <p><a class="reference external"
  href="documentation/glossary.html#term-fipy"><em
  class="xref">FiPy</em></a> is an object oriented, partial differential
  equation (PDE) solver,
  written in <a class="reference external"
  href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://www.python.org/">Python</a>,
  based on a standard finite volume (FV) approach. The framework has been
  developed in the <a class="reference external"
  href="http://www.metallurgy.nist.gov/">Metallurgy Division</a> and Center
  for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science (<a class="reference
  external" href="http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/">CTCMS</a>), in the Material
  Measurement Laboratory (<a class="reference external"
  href="http://www.nist.gov/mml/">MML</a>) at the National Institute of
  Standards and Technology (<a class="reference external"
  href="http://www.nist.gov/">NIST</a>).</p>
  <p>The solution of coupled sets of PDEs is ubiquitous to the numerical
  simulation of science problems. Numerous PDE solvers exist, using a
  variety of languages and numerical approaches. Many are proprietary,
  expensive and difficult to customize. As a result, scientists spend
  considerable resources repeatedly developing limited tools for specific
  problems. Our approach, combining the FV method and <a class="reference
  external"
  href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://www.python.org/">Python</a>,
  provides a tool that is extensible, powerful and freely available. A
  significant advantage to <a class="reference external"
  href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://www.python.org/">Python</a>
  is the existing suite of tools for array calculations, sparse matrices
  and data rendering.</p>
  <p>The <a class="reference external"
  href="documentation/glossary.html#term-fipy"><em
  class="xref">FiPy</em></a> framework includes terms for transient
  diffusion,
  convection and standard sources, enabling the solution of arbitrary
  combinations of coupled elliptic, hyperbolic and parabolic PDEs.
  Currently implemented models include phase field <a class="reference
  external"
  href="documentation/manual/refs.bib_cited.html#boettingerreview-2002">[BoettingerReview:2002]</a>
  <a class="reference external"
  href="documentation/manual/refs.bib_cited.html#chenreview-2002">[ChenReview:2002]</a>
  <a class="reference external"
  href="documentation/manual/refs.bib_cited.html#mcfaddenreview-2002">[McFaddenReview:2002]</a>
  treatments of polycrystalline, dendritic, and electrochemical phase
  transformations as well as a level set treatment of the electrodeposition
  process <a class="reference external"
  href="documentation/manual/refs.bib_cited.html#nist-damascene-2001">[NIST:damascene:2001]</a>.</p>
  <div class="admonition attention">
  <p class="first admonition-title">If you use FiPy in your research, please cite:
  <a href="_static/fipy.bib">(bibtex)</a>
  <a href="_static/fipy.ris">(endnote)</a>
  <a href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?pub_id=854461">(pdf)</a></p>
  <p>J. E. Guyer, D. Wheeler &amp; J. A. Warren,
  "FiPy: Partial Differential Equations with Python,"
  <i>Computing in Science &amp; Engineering</i> <b>11</b>(3) pp. 6&mdash;15 (2009),
  <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MCSE.2009.52"><code>doi:10.1109/MCSE.2009.52</code></a>,
  <a href="http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/fipy"><code>http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/fipy</code></a></p>
  </div>
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   <h2>Documentation</h2>
   <table class="contentstable" align="center"><tr>
     <td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("README") }}">About FiPy</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">start here</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("INSTALLATION") }}">Installation</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">how to install FiPy on different platforms</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("examples/README") }}">Examples</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">examples of usage</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/FAQ") }}">FAQs</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">frequently asked questions (with answers!)</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("LICENSE") }}">License</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">terms of use</span></p>
     </td><td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/numerical/index") }}">Numerical Approach</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">background on numerical solutions to PDEs</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/design") }}">FiPy Design</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">FilosoPhy of FiPy</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/API") }}">FiPy API</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">reference for Python programmers</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/CREDITS") }}">Credits</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">significant contributors</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/PUBLICATIONS") }}">Publications</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">papers and talks about (or using) FiPy</span></p>
     </td></tr>
   </table>

   <h2>Applications</h2>
   <table class="contentstable" align="center"><tr>
     <td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ 
       pathto("examples/levelSet/electroChem/README") }}">Superconformal 
       Electrodeposition</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">level set treatment of "Damascene" 
          electrodeposition</span></p>
     </td><td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/VKML") 
       }}">Virtual Kinetics of Materials Laboratory</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">interactive graphical examples from 
          Purdue University</span></p>
     </td></tr>
   </table>

   <h2><a href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://matforge.org/fipy">FiPy@MatForge</a></h2>
   <table class="contentstable" align="center"><tr>
     <td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" 
       href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://matforge.org/fipy/wiki/FiPyDownloadCurrent">Download</a></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" 
       href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://matforge.org/fipy/browser">Source Code</a></p>
     </td><td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" 
       href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://matforge.org/fipy">wiki</a></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" 
       href="http://www.nist.gov/cgi-bin/exit_nist.cgi?url=http://matforge.org/fipy/report">Reporting Bugs</a></p>
     </td></tr>
   </table>
   
   <h2>Indices and tables</h2>
   <table class="contentstable" align="center"><tr>
     <td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("modindex") }}">Global Module Index</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">quick access to all modules</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("genindex") }}">General Index</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">all functions, classes, terms</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/glossary") }}">Glossary</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">the most important terms explained</span></p>
     </td><td width="50%">
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("search") 
       }}">Search Page</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">search this documentation</span></p>
       <p class="biglink"><a class="biglink" href="{{ pathto("documentation/contents") }}">Complete Table of Contents</a><br/>
          <span class="linkdescr">lists all sections and subsections</span></p>
     </td></tr>
   </table>
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