mirror of https://github.com/JuliaFEM/JuliaFEM.jl.git synced 2026-08-06 04:21:33 +00:00

Files

T

Jukka Aho 626266c990 docs: Reorganize documentation into three-tier structure

**Three Manuals for Three Audiences:**

1. **User Manual** (docs/user/) - "Just Get It Done"
   - For end users, engineers, students
   - Simple, practical, step-by-step
   - Quick start, tutorials, examples, troubleshooting
   - Philosophy: Show me how to solve my problem

2. **Contributor Manual** (docs/contributor/) - "Show Me the Code"
   - For developers, contributors, advanced users
   - Technical, detailed, design rationale
   - Testing, architecture, performance, CI/CD
   - Philosophy: Explain HOW and WHY

3. **The JuliaFEM Book** (docs/book/) - "Let Me Show You How I Think"
   - For researchers, theory nerds, and Jukka
   - Comprehensive, educational, opinionated, personal
   - Math foundations, design philosophy, history, research
   - Philosophy: Mix theory, code, and personal experience

**Reorganization:**
- Moved: TESTING_PHILOSOPHY.md → contributor/testing_philosophy.md
- Moved: STATUS.md → contributor/status.md
- Moved: TEST_FIXES_NEEDED.md → contributor/test_fixes_needed.md
- Moved: lagrange_basis_functions.md → book/lagrange_basis_functions.md
- Moved: benchmarks/ → book/benchmarks/
- Created: docs/README.md (main index explaining structure)
- Created: README.md in each section explaining audience and contents
- Updated: All references in scripts and source files

**Naming:** All docs now lowercase (testing_philosophy not TESTING_PHILOSOPHY)

**Benefits:**
- Clear separation of concerns
- Users don't get overwhelmed with implementation details
- Contributors get technical depth
- Book preserves deep theory and personal insights
- Each manual optimized for its audience

**Next:** Populate each section with appropriate content

2025-11-09 04:38:28 +02:00

benchmarks

docs: Reorganize documentation into three-tier structure

2025-11-09 04:38:28 +02:00

lagrange_basis_functions.md

docs: Reorganize documentation into three-tier structure

2025-11-09 04:38:28 +02:00

README.md

docs: Reorganize documentation into three-tier structure

2025-11-09 04:38:28 +02:00

README.md

The JuliaFEM Book

Audience: Advanced researchers, theory nerds, those who want to understand the "why" and "how" at a deep level. And Jukka.

This is the JuliaFEM Bible - a comprehensive manual mixing theory, philosophy, software design, and personal experience. It's educational, opinionated, and unapologetically deep.

What's Here

Mathematical Foundations: Lagrange basis functions, weak forms, contact mechanics
Design Philosophy: Why JuliaFEM exists, what problems it solves (and doesn't)
Technical Vision: Strategic mistakes from 2015-2019, lessons learned
Research Directions: Experimental ideas (nodal assembly, matrix-free, etc.)
Personal Notes: The journey, the failures, the "aha!" moments
Theory + Code: How mathematics becomes software

What's NOT Here

"How do I install?" (see docs/user/)
"How do I add a feature?" (see docs/contributor/)
Short answers (everything here is DEEP)

Philosophy

"Let me show you how I think about FEM."

This is:

Educational: Teach FEM through implementation
Personal: Written in Jukka's voice, reflecting 8+ years of experience
Opinionated: Strong views on what works and what doesn't
Comprehensive: From first principles to cutting-edge research
Honest: Documents failures as much as successes

We assume you:

Love mathematics AND programming
Want to understand WHY, not just HOW
Have time to read deeply
Are curious about unconventional approaches
Might be me, 5 years from now, trying to remember why I did this

Structure

Part I: Foundations

Finite Element Method (brief review)
Lagrange Basis Functions (deep dive)
Assembly and Solving
Contact Mechanics

Part II: Software Design

Type Stability and Performance
Zero-Allocation Design
Immutability and Composition
Field System Architecture

Part III: History and Vision

Strategic Mistakes (2015-2019)
Why JuliaFEM is Different
Contact Mechanics Focus
Laboratory Philosophy

Part IV: Research

Nodal Assembly (experimental)
Matrix-Free Methods
Automatic Differentiation
GPU Acceleration

Part V: The Journey

Personal Reflections
Lessons Learned
Future Directions
Open Questions

Reading Guide

For Theory: Start with Part I
For Design Rationale: Start with Part II
For History: Start with Part III
For Research Ideas: Start with Part IV
For Philosophy: Read Part V first, then everything else

Start here: Mathematical Foundations | Strategic Mistakes | Why JuliaFEM?