                           CVODES 
                 Release 3.1.0, November 2017
               Alan C. Hindmarsh and Radu Serban
          Center for Applied Scientific Computing, LLNL

CVODES is a solver for stiff and nonstiff ODE systems (initial value 
problem) given in explicit form y' = f(t,y,p) with sensitivity analysis 
capabilities (both forward and adjoint modes). 
It is written in ANSI standard C.

CVODES can be used both on serial and parallel computers.  The 
main difference is in the NVECTOR module of vector kernels.  The desired 
version is obtained when compiling the example files by linking the 
appropriate library of NVECTOR kernels.  In the parallel versions,
communication between processors is done with MPI, with OpenMP, or with Pthreads.

When used with the serial NVECTOR module, CVODES provides both direct (dense 
and band) and preconditioned Krylov (iterative) linear solvers. Three different
iterative solvers are available: scaled preconditioned GMRES (SPGMR), scaled 
preconditioned BiCGStab (SPBCG), and scaled preconditioned TFQMR (SPTFQMR). 
When CVODES is used with the parallel NVECTOR module, only the Krylov linear solvers 
are available. (An approximate diagonal Jacobian option is available with both 
versions.)  For the serial version, there is a banded preconditioner module 
called CVBANDPRE available for use with the Krylov solvers, while for the parallel 
version there is a preconditioner module called CVBBDPRE which provides a
band-block-diagonal preconditioner.

CVODES is part of a software family called SUNDIALS: SUite of Nonlinear and 
DIfferential/ALgebraic equation Solvers [4].  This suite consists of CVODE, 
CVODES, ARKode, IDA, IDAS, and KINSOL.  The directory structure of the 
package supplied reflects this family relationship.

The notes below provide the location of documentation, directions for the 
installation of the CVODES package, and relevant references. Following that 
is a brief history of revisions to the package.


A. Documentation
----------------

/sundials/doc/cvodes/ contains PDF files for the CVODES User Guide [1] (cvs_guide.pdf)
and the CVODES Examples [2] (cvs_examples.pdf) documents.


B. Installation
---------------

For basic installation instructions see the file /sundials/INSTALL_GUIDE.pdf. 
For complete installation instructions see the "Installation Procedure"
chapter in the CVODES User Guide.


C. References
-------------

[1] A. C. Hindmarsh and R. Serban, "User Documentation for CVODES v2.9.0," 
    LLNL technical report UCRL-SM-208111, March 2016.

[2] A. C. Hindmarsh and R. Serban, "Example Programs for CVODES v2.9.0," 
    LLNL technical report UCRL-SM-208115, March 2016.

[3] R. Serban and A. C. Hindmarsh, "CVODES: the Sensitivity-Enabled ODE 
    solver in SUNDIALS," Proceedings of IDETC/CIE 2005, Sept. 2005, 
    Long Beach, CA.

[4] A. C. Hindmarsh, P. N. Brown, K. E. Grant, S. L. Lee, R. Serban, 
    D. E. Shumaker, and C. S. Woodward, "SUNDIALS, Suite of Nonlinear and 
    Differential/Algebraic Equation Solvers," ACM Trans. Math. Softw., 
    31(3), pp. 363-396, 2005.


D. Releases
-----------

v. 3.1.0   - Nov. 2017
v. 3.0.0   - Sep. 2017
v. 2.9.0   - Sep. 2016
v. 2.8.2   - Aug. 2015
v. 2.8.1   - Mar. 2015
v. 2.8.0   - Mar. 2015
v. 2.7.0   - Mar. 2012
v. 2.6.0   - May  2009
v. 2.5.0   - Nov. 2006
v. 2.4.0   - Mar. 2006
v. 2.3.0   - May. 2005
v. 2.2.0   - Apr. 2005
v. 2.1.2   - Mar. 2005
v. 2.1.1   - Jan. 2005
v. 2.1.0   - Dec. 2004
v. 1.0     - Jul. 2002 (first SUNDIALS release)

