How fast the Laplace equation was solved in 1995 (Q1369437)

As the title suggests, the aim of this paper is to compare the performance of a number of linear systems solvers in the context of discretizations of Laplace's equation, or more general linear elliptic equations. The authors identify six model problems, including Laplace's equation on the unit square or cube with various boundary conditions, the stationary diffusion equation, and pressure calculations for the Navier-Stokes equations. Both structured and unstructered finite element meshes are used. The solvers used include packages for the solution of elliptic equations and for nonsymmetric systems, as well as public domain solvers developed in research programs. Some have preconditioners, or use the conjugate gradient method. Computations were carried out on a workstation. The authors report on results by comparing CPU times per unknown. The results are discussed in some detail, with guidance given as to the suitability of certain solvers for particular situations.