  The <b> PLAPACK </b> project investigates interfaces and implementations of dense and sparse parallel linear algebra libraries.   This project is unique in that it concentrates on convenient interfaces.  It is our conclusion that this can only be  achieved by distributing the <b> vectors </b> in a linear system first, which then induces the <b> matrix </b> distribution. Justification for this lies in the fact that the physical problem leads to a mathematical model, involving two spaces and an operator. It is these spaces that represent the problem.  Discretization of the mathematical model leads to vectors, which hold the solution and right hand side,  and the matrix, which is the discretized operator. <b> Physically Based Matrix Distribution </b> is based on these ideas.  The interface that allows information from the  physical problem and/or mathematical model to be passed down to the library is called the <b> Physically Distributed Matrix Interface </b>.  If you would like to be kept informed of progress on this library, please sign our <a href="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/sammy/pla/sign-in"> guestbook. </a>   <hr>  The <b> SL_library </b> is a prototype implementation for PLAPACK. Here <b> SL </b> stands for <b>S</b>imple <b>L</b>ibrary.   It was created in part  to investigate techniques required for the PLAPACK library, and in part to provide an infrastructure for the course <a href="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/rvdg/395T.96"> "Parallel Techniques for Numerical Algorithms" </a> taught by <a href="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/rvdg"> Robert van de Geijn </a> at the University of Texas at Austin. <p>
