For scalar linear elliptic model problems the efficiency of multigrid
algorithms was established at the very beginning of multigrid research.
These methods turned out to be the most efficient techniques for
solving elliptic partial differential equations. The theory states that
a multigrid solution is generally obtained in a time directly proportional
to the number of unknowns on serial computers.
The inherent locality of the multigrid components allows a very efficient
parallelization with nearly optimal speed up.

Multigrid, or more general multilevel computational methods
have evolved into an independent discipline by itself,
interacting with numerous engineering application areas and impacting
fundamental developments in several sciences. The recent past
shows an increased development of multilevel solvers for various areas,
including: aerodynamics, atmospheric and oceanic research, structural
mechanics, quantum mechanics and VLSI-Design.

For further information, please contact:
Barbara Steckel, Wolfgang Joppich
Gesellschaft fuer Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung (GMD)
Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing
Schloss Birlinghoven
53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany

Phone: (0)2241 14 2768 or - 2748
Fax:   (0)2241 14 2460
E-mail: mgkurs@gmd.de