Algorithm 907: KLU, A Direct Sparse Solver for Circuit Simulation Problems

KLU is a software package for solving sparse unsymmetric linear systems of equations that arise in circuit simulation applications. It relies on a permutation to Block Triangular Form (BTF), several methods for finding a fill-reducing ordering (variants of approximate minimum degree and nested dissection), and Gilbert/Peierls' sparse left-looking LU factorization algorithm to factorize each block. The package is written in C and includes a MATLAB interface. Performance results comparing KLU with SuperLU, Sparse 1.3, and UMFPACK on circuit simulation matrices are presented. KLU is the default sparse direct solver in the Xyce (TM) circuit simulation package developed by Sandia National Laboratories.