Glossary¶

Analysis step A named solution stage containing an analysis kind, loading controls, and active boundary conditions.

Backend The implementation selected for an operation, such as SciPy, PETSc/MUMPS, or cuDSS for an assembled sparse solve.

Device The compute target on which tensors and supported operations run, such as CPU, CUDA, or MPS.

Discrete form The finite-dimensional mesh-and-basis representation of a weak problem, including assembled degrees of freedom and operators.

Fallback An explicit alternate implementation selected when a requested route is unavailable or non-functional.

History A stored scalar or tabular record indexed by step or time, such as reaction force, energy, or solver telemetry.

JVP Jacobian-vector product: application of a derivative to a direction without necessarily materializing the full Jacobian.

Operator A residual or linearized mapping evaluated in assembled or matrix-free form.

Preconditioner An approximate inverse or transformation used to improve an iterative linear solve; it is not itself the physical model.

Result A read-only handle for artifacts and stored state in a completed run directory.

Secant A finite change quotient between two states, rather than a local derivative at one state.

Strong form The pointwise differential statement of the governing equations and boundary/initial data.

Tangent A local derivative of a residual or constitutive update with respect to an increment.

Trajectory A stored sequence of field snapshots, in the preferred Zarr or legacy H5 format when enabled.

Weak form An integral statement obtained by testing the strong form and integrating by parts.