Documentation

PETSc is a sophisticated package and fully understanding its usage requires time. However, application programmers can easily begin to use PETSc from a high level and then gradually learn more details according to their needs. Users should read the users manual before attempting to do any serious coding with PETSc!

PETSc users manual - pdf (fully searchable with hyperlinks)
Index of all help topics
Index of all manual pages
Strategies for using PETSc with Fortran

PETSc Manual Pages and Examples MPI TAO

Vector Operations (Vec) in libvec

Defining your own mathematical functions (PF)

Matrix Operations (Mat) in libmat

Data and grid management

Index sets (IS) in libvec

Distributed Arrays (DA) in libdm

Meshes (Mesh) in libdm

Application Orderings (AO) in libdm

Linear Solvers (KSP) in libksp
Summary table of all linear solvers

Preconditioners (PC)

Krylov Subspace Methods (KSP)
Nonlinear Solvers (SNES) in libsnes
Matrix-free nonlinear solvers (MATMFFD)
Time Stepping (TS) ODE solvers in libts
Utilities in libpetsc
Viewing Objects

Graphics (Draw)

System Routines (Options, IO, utilities)

Profiling and Logging

The manual pages are split into four categories; we recommend that you begin with basic functionality and then gradually explore more sophisticated library features.

Beginner - Basic usage

Intermediate - Setting options for algorithms and data structures

Advanced - Setting more advanced options and customization

Developer - Interfaces intended primarily for library developers

Supplementary Documentation

Installation - detailed instructions for installing PETSc
Changes - changes and new features in recent versions of PETSc
Troubleshooting - help when something goes wrong
Bug Reporting - details on how to report bugs
Code Management - hints for efficient management of large-scale application codes
FAQ - frequently asked questions about PETSc
Copyright - statement of the PETSc copyright
README.Debian - a description of this Debian package, see also the package homepage