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PSD Innovation Network
Welcome to the fifth installment of the UChicago PSD Innovation Network eNewsletter. Prior issues are archived on the PSD website. We continue to look for new commercial partnerships for the division and invite your questions and input.
Warm regards,
Adele Goldberg, SM'68, PhD'73
Chair, University of Chicago PSD Innovation Network

Interested in Joining or Mentoring a Team Marketing New Simulation Software?
FEniCS is a collection of open-source software supporting the automated, efficient solution of differential equations using finite element methods, used extensively to model complex structural and fluid dynamics problems. The FEniCS Project originated at the University of Chicago in 2002 under computer science and mathematics professor Ridgway Scott. Argonne National Laboratory has also contributed to the software's design and implementation.
FEniCS Project
Simulation is by the Computational Technology Laboratory using the Unicorn software, part of the FEniCS project, led by Ridgway Scott (right).
Although the software is free to download, use, and modify, its adaptation benefits from expert knowledge of simulation-design strategies and the available features of the software libraries. Professor Scott is forming a start-up to scale FEniCS for a broad market by providing cloud-based access to the software as well as in-house implementation support and courses and by expanding the libraries for industries not currently well supported by older simulation software.
Unlike other offerings, FEniCS provides very simple formulation of linear and nonlinear variational problems used for finite element discretization in space--written in a form very close to mathematical notation--and thereby saves work and ensures clarity. FEniCS depends on a major discovery: a new way to compute finite element matrices that makes finite element computation as efficient as finite difference computation while still retaining the geometric generality that is unique to finite element methods. FEniCS supports just-in-time compilation to speed up iterative refinement of models used to design products, automatic error control, and an extendable library of finite elements.
The PSD Innovation Network is assisting in the business-planning phase of this start-up. Professor Scott has already lined up an impressive group of technologists and science advisers and is especially interested in identifying entrepreneurs and advisers who combine strong business-development skills with engineering and software backgrounds.
Has this piqued your interest? Access a recently published book about FEniCS or contact us if you have a use-related interest, including if you can identify customers, specify the required interfaces, and/or test initial simulation strategies.
We're excited to hear your thoughts about this new software.
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