Looking back at the years that have passed since the realization of the very first electronic, multi-purpose computers, one observes a tremendous growth in hardware and software performance. Today, researchers and engi- neers have access to computing power and software that can solve numerical problems which are not fully understood in terms of existing mathemati- cal theory. Thus, computational sciences must in many respects be viewed as experimental disciplines. As a consequence, there is a demand for high- quality, flexible software that allows, and even encourages, experimentation with...

Looking back at the years that have passed since the realization of the very first electronic, multi-purpose computers, one observes a tremendous growth in hardware and software performance. Today, researchers and engi- neers have access to computing power and software that can solve numerical problems which are not fully understood in terms of existing mathemati- cal theory. Thus, computational sciences must in many respects be viewed as experimental disciplines. As a consequence, there is a demand for high- quality, flexible software that allows, and even encourages, experimentation with...