H2Lib  3.0
H2Lib Documentation

The H2Lib package contains algorithms and data structures for working with hierarchical matrices [[5]], [[3]], [[6]] and $\mathcal{H}^2$-matrices [[4]], [[1]], [[2]]. It is being developed in the Scientific Computing Group of Kiel University, since we require a software library that can be used both for teaching and research purposes and the existing libraries currently do not meet both requirements.

In order to offer a good basis for teaching courses on hierarchical matrices, the modules have been organized in a layered design that allows students to work with the lower layers (e.g., for handling matrices and vectors) without having to worry about higher layers (e.g., approximative algebraic routines or sophisticated compression algorithms).

A researcher using H2Lib finds a relatively complete set of functions for creating and manipulating $\mathcal{H}$- and $\mathcal{H}^2$-matrices, e.g., for performing matrix-vector multiplications, approximative algebraic operations like multiplication, inversion and factorization, and functions for compressing and converting matrices between different representations.

For the sake of convenience, we have also included modules for a number of typical model problems, e.g., for boundary integral equations or elliptic partial differential equations, with the corresponding auxiliary modules for singular quadrature and simple grid management.