I'm stuck! How to efficiently debug computational solid mechanics models so you can enjoy the beauty of simulations

DOI10.1016/J.EUROMECHSOL.2022.104845zbMATH Open1504.74079arXiv2209.04198OpenAlexW4307931820MaRDI QIDQ2102666FDOQ2102666

Authors: Ester Comellas, Jean-Paul Pelteret, W. Bangerth 

Publication date: 29 November 2022

Published in: European Journal of Mechanics. A. Solids (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: A substantial fraction of the time that computational modellers dedicate to developing their models is actually spent trouble-shooting and debugging their code. However, how this process unfolds is seldom spoken about, maybe because it is hard to articulate as it relies mostly on the mental catalogues we have built with the experience of past failures. To help newcomers to the field of material modelling, here we attempt to fill this gap and provide a perspective on how to identify and fix mistakes in computational solid mechanics models. To this aim, we describe the components that make up such a model and then identify possible sources of errors. In practice, finding mistakes is often better done by considering the symptoms of what is going wrong. As a consequence, we provide strategies to narrow down where in the model the problem may be, based on observation and a catalogue of frequent causes of observed errors. In a final section, we also discuss how one-time bug-free models can be kept bug-free in view of the fact that computational models are typically under continual development. We hope that this collection of approaches and suggestions serves as a "road map" to find and fix mistakes in computational models, and more importantly, keep the problems solved so that modellers can enjoy the beauty of material modelling and simulation.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.04198

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zbMATH Keywords

numerical algorithmdebuggingconstitutive modelmaterial modellingnumerical implementation

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General theory of mathematical modeling (00A71) General theory of simulation (00A72) Mathematical modeling or simulation for problems pertaining to mechanics of deformable solids (74-10) Generalities, axiomatics, foundations of continuum mechanics of solids (74A99) Numerical and other methods in solid mechanics (74S99) Software, source code, etc. for problems pertaining to mechanics of deformable solids (74-04)

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Cited In (1)

• Code verification of immersed boundary techniques using the method of manufactured solutions

Uses Software

• ADOL-C
• Maple
• Mathematica
• SUNDIALS
• SymPy
• UMFPACK
• GiNaC
• deal.ii
• PETSc
• MUMPS
• Trilinos
• Valgrind
• VisIt
• ParaView
• Sacado
• KRATOS
• GENERIC
• VTune
• MFEM
• VTK
• FEAPpv
• FEBio
• likwid
• GDB
• NGSolve
• Intel TBB
• SymEngine
• Doxygen
• googletest
• gprof
• Xcode
• PyVista
• Catch2
• GitHub
• Qt
• oneAPI
• VisualStudio.NET
• Basix
• LLDB Debugger
• heaptrack

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