How to Read This Book

Since Nutils is a library for the development of numerical simulations, this book assumes that the reader is familiar with differential calculus, Galerkin methods, and the Finite Element Method. If this is not the case, chances are that Nutils is not the tool they are looking for.

First time users who are eager to get their feet wet will want to begin with the getting started guide and build a functioning Poisson solver in three easy steps, no questions asked. Following this, beginners are strongly advised to follow the hands on tutorial to gain an an in-depth understanding of Nutils concepts and get familiar with the syntax.

Novices and advanced users alike may find interest in the installation guide, which ranges from basic installation instructions to tips and tricks for optimizing the installation, instructions for running a Docker style container, and suggestions for computing remotely.

The release history provides an overview of changes between releases. This is the place to monitor for long term users who want to keep up to date with the latest and greatest new features. The release pages also provide links to the relevant API reference where all Nutils functions are documented.

Anybody looking to build their own Nutils simulations are encouraged to browse through the example projects. Most simulations will have components in common with existing scripts, so a mix-and-match approach is a good way to start building your own. In case questions do remain, the support page lists ways of getting in touch with developers.

Finally, the science section provides an overview of publications that use Nutils in their research. Reproducing results from these articles is a great starting point for follow-up research, as well as good scientific practice in its own right. Help others do the same by citing Nutils in your own publications!