COMSOL Multiphysics
Physics and engineering software package
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software |
| Founded | Stockholm, Sweden (1986) |
| Key people | Svante Littmarck, CEO COMSOL Group Farhad Saeidi, President COMSOL AB |
| Products | COMSOL Multiphysics, COMSOL Server, COMSOL Compiler |
| Website | www.comsol.com |
COMSOL Multiphysics is a finite element analyzer, solver, and simulation software package for various physics and engineering applications, especially coupled phenomena and multiphysics. The software facilitates conventional physics-based user interfaces and coupled systems of partial differential equations (PDEs). COMSOL Multiphysics provides an IDE and unified workflow for electrical, mechanical, fluid, acoustics, and chemical applications.
Beside the classical problems that can be addressed with application modules, the core Multiphysics package can be used to solve PDEs in weak form. An API for Java and MATLAB can be used to control the software externally. The program also serves as an application builder for physics applications. Several modules are available for COMSOL, categorized according to the applications areas of Electrical, Mechanical, Fluid, Acoustic, Chemical, Multipurpose, and Interfacing.
01Company history
COMSOL was founded in 1986 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Svante Littmarck and Farhad Saeidi. For the first 12 years, COMSOL worked closely with MATLAB, as a distributor and software partner. In 1998, the company released the first version of FEMLAB, a specialized finite element package built on top of MATLAB. In 2003 FEMLAB became a standalone product, no longer requiring MATLAB, and in 2005, FEMLAB was renamed COMSOL Multiphysics.
02COMSOL Script and Controversy
In 2003 MathWorks informed COMSOL that they would not be renewing COMSOL as a distributor. In response, COMSOL developed COMSOL Script, a clone of the MATLAB programming language and started selling it around 2005. MathWorks filed suit in 2006 for infringement of copyright and breach of contract, in which they won and were awarded $7.5 million in compensation. Mathworks presented this suit as amicus curiae in the more well-known Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc. suit, where Oracle argued that Google violated copyright law by re-implementing the "declaring code".
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “COMSOL Multiphysics”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- An application of shell and tube heat exchanger which includes the model and an instance of running application.jpg NOte.jpg by COMSOL, Fair use
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