[petsc-users] How to use multigrid?

[Jed Brown]

On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 9:28 AM, w_ang_temp <w_ang_temp at 163.com> wrote:

> By the way, as a graduate student, I find that it is difficult to write a
> paper just using PETSc
> to deal with a large problem. Because it seems that there is no an
> innovative idea by just using
> the available things.
>

Reimplementing an existing method is not new either. Now there are many
papers that reimplement existing methods under a new name, without citing
its existing use, and usually with less rigorous analysis than earlier
work. This is caused either by stubborn ignorance or intentional deception.
It's not science and only survives due to negligent reviewers.

Creating genuinely new methods that solve meaningful problems and work
better than existing methods is Hard. To start with, it's important to
understand the capabilities and limitations of existing methods. Unless
your intended research area is pretty focused, expect to read at least 1000
papers and write dozens of experimental codes. You might be able to rely on
your advisor to accelerate this process, but advisors are not always right.


> It is also not easy to get something new based on the src of PETSc.
>

If you work in an application area, focus on the modeling and method
components specific to your problem. Build the special ingredients using
PETSc and let the library do the rest of the work. Better understanding of
methods will help you do this faster and in more powerful ways.
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