
Finite Element Interface to linear solvers (FEI)

Questions may be sent to fei-developers@software.sandia.gov

FEI is a library for assembling sparse linear systems arising from finite
element applications, and other applications which use unstructured mesh
data.

FEI forms an abstraction layer, allowing applications to be insulated from
library-specific APIs and data structures related to linear system assembly.
The motivation for this is to allow applications to easily switch from one
linear-solver library to another. (For example, to switch from Aztec to PETSc.)

FEI has traditionally been built and used outside of Trilinos, with the
assumption that Trilinos may or may not be available.  Now that FEI is a
Trilinos package, some FEI objects will no longer be needed. Examples include
fei::ParameterSet (will be replaced by Teuchos::ParameterList) and
fei::SharedPtr (will be replaced by Teuchos::RefCountPtr). At the current
time (September 2007) these fei objects are still in place and being used.
They will be phased out and replaced with the appropriate Teuchos objects
as time permits.

The best starting point for learning how FEI is used, is to read through
the example programs in example/beam and example/poisson.

Additionally, there is some documentation in the doc directory.

