Scientific Computing is a young research area, where the technical expertise of the engineers, the numerical methods of the mathematicians, and the modern procedures and computers of the computer scientists are being used inter-disciplinary. Many scientifc questions arising in practice can only be solved cost-effectively by simulation, for which mathematical methods and algorithms must be developed. Due to the large computing power needed, vector and massively parallel machines have to be employed. To efficiently use such supercomputers specialized knowledge is needed. The institute of scientific computing provides such a know-how and solves together with practitioners from other institutes or institutions problems on parallel computers.
Lead by Prof. Hermann G. Matthies the institute of scientific computing has started its work on October 1, 1995. The research and development of algorithms for parallel computers and workstation clusters as well as the interplay between the engineering sciences, mathematics and computer science represent the central field of activity of the institute. This should favourably occur in co-operation with other practitioners and users of supercomputers.