Henk A. van der Vorst - Böcker

Computational simulation of scientific phenomena and engineering problems often depends on solving linear systems with a large number of unknowns. This book gives insight into the construction of iterative methods for the solution of such systems and helps the reader to select the best solver for a given class of problems. The emphasis is on the main ideas and how they have led to efficient solvers such as CG, GMRES, and BI-CGSTAB. The author also explains the main concepts behind the construction of preconditioners. The reader is encouraged to gain experience by analysing numerous examples that illustrate how best to exploit the methods. The book also hints at many open problems and as such it will appeal to established researchers. There are many exercises that motivate the material and help students to understand the essential steps in the analysis and construction of algorithms.

The idea for this book originated during the workshop “Model order reduction, coupled problems and optimization” held at the Lorentz Center in Leiden from S- tember 19–23, 2005. During one of the discussion sessions, it became clear that a book describing the state of the art in model order reduction, starting from the very basics and containing an overview of all relevant techniques, would be of great use for students, young researchers starting in the ?eld, and experienced researchers. The observation that most of the theory on model order reduction is scattered over many good papers, making it dif?cult to ?nd a good starting point, was supported by most of the participants. Moreover, most of the speakers at the workshop were willing to contribute to the book that is now in front of you. The goal of this book, as de?ned during the discussion sessions at the workshop, is three-fold: ?rst, it should describe the basics of model order reduction. Second, both general and more specialized model order reduction techniques for linear and nonlinear systems should be covered, including the use of several related numerical techniques. Third, the use of model order reduction techniques in practical appli- tions and current research aspects should be discussed. We have organized the book according to these goals. In Part I, the rationale behind model order reduction is explained, and an overview of the most common methods is described.