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Install LifeV

Before using LifeV, you have to install it. We have published new instructions which include TPLs. Please visit lifev-env.

Introduction to the use of LifeV

This document is meant as a user guide as it describes how to use LifeV to approximate the solution PDEs by the Finite Element method.

The simulation workflows

Writing and reading a datafile - In this section the user can learn (i) how to write an input datafile for LifeV and (ii) how LifeV can parse it.

Mesh handling - In this section the user can learn (i) some basics on how to generate a mesh for LifeV using the open-source software Gmsh, (ii) how to read it in LifeV and (iii) how to partition it for parallel computations.

Assembling - In this section the user can learn (i) how to create the Finite Element Spaces, (ii) how to assemble the linear system and (iii) some basic facts regarding the management of the degrees of freedom.

Boundary conditions - In this section the user can learn (i) how to specify a boundary condition, (ii) how to apply the boundary conditions;

Linear solver - In this section the user can learn (i) how to solve the linear system arising from the finite elements discretization by setting different preconditioner types.

Exporting and importing data - In this section the user can learn how to export (import) finite element vectors and save (load) them to (from) an external file.

Exercises

Manual assembly - More in-depth understanding of a FEM assembly procedure

Miscellaneous

CMake - How to write a CMakeLists for externally using an installation of LifeV

LifeV Manual

Here you may find a LifeV manual (updated on 2015).

NOTE: some parts of the tutorial refer to previous releases of LifeV and of the third-part libraries. The guidelines provided in this wiki should take precedence over the ones written in the document.