Numerical Modelling with Python and XML

Abstract. In this paper we continue the development of our python-based package for the solution of partial dierential equations using spatial dis-cretization techniques such as the nite element method (FEM), but we take it to a higher level using two approaches: First we dene a Model class ob-ject which makes it easy to break down a complex simulation into simpler sub-models, which then can be linked together into a highly ecient whole. Second, we implement an XML schema in which we can save an entire simu-lation. This allows implementing check-pointing and also graphical user inter-faces to enable non-programmers to use models developed for their research. All this is built upon our escript module, which makes it easy to develop numerical models in a very abstract way while using the computational com-ponents implemented in C and C++ to achieve extreme high-performance for time-intensive calculations