Split adaptive driven solver documentation

Author: hughcars

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@ The format of this changelog is based on
 
 #### New Features
 
-  - Added a new tutorial "Driven Solver: Uniform vs Adaptive" that walks through the
-    uniform and adaptive driven solvers on the CPW lumped-port and transmon examples,
-    explaining the adaptive (PROM/MRI) algorithm in detail and giving practical user
-    guidance on tolerances, convergence, and validation
-    [PR 702](https://github.com/awslabs/palace/pull/702).
+  - Added a new feature guide for adaptive frequency sweeps in driven simulations,
+    with CPW lumped-port and transmon examples, plus reference documentation for
+    the adaptive PROM/MRI algorithm and practical guidance on tolerances,
+    convergence, and validation [PR 702](https://github.com/awslabs/palace/pull/702).
   - Added `"IncludeInSynthesis"` boolean flag to lumped port configuration (default `true`).
     When adaptive driven circuit synthesis is enabled
     (`config["Solver"]["Driven"]["AdaptiveCircuitSynthesis"]`), this flag controls whether

docs/make.jl

@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ makedocs(
             "config/boundaries.md",
             "config/solver.md"
         ],
-        "Features" => Any["features/farfield.md"],
+        "Features" => Any["features/farfield.md", "features/adaptive_driven_solver.md"],
         "Examples" => Any[
             "examples/examples.md",
             "examples/spheres.md",
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ makedocs(
             "examples/coaxial.md",
             "examples/cpw.md",
             "examples/cpw2d.md",
-            "examples/dielectric_grating.md",
-            "examples/tutorial_driven_uniform_v_adaptive.md"
+            "examples/dielectric_grating.md"
         ],
         "faq.md",
         "For Developers" => Any[

docs/src/examples/tutorial_driven_uniform_v_adaptive.md

@@ -0,0 +1,244 @@
+```@raw html
+<!---
+Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+--->
+```
+
+```@raw html
+<!---
+MAINTAINER NOTE
+
+The SVGs referenced from this page (docs/src/assets/examples/driven_ua_*.svg)
+are committed snapshots, not auto-generated artifacts. The underlying Palace
+runs take several hours and are not feasible to re-run in CI or at docs build
+time. The plots will drift relative to the current solver behaviour over time,
+which is acceptable for a feature guide; if you make a change that meaningfully
+alters the qualitative shape of these curves, please refresh
+them by hand.
+
+To regenerate, from the repository root:
+
+  julia --project=examples -e 'include("examples/cpw/cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven.jl"); \
+      generate_cpw_lumped_driven_data(num_processors=4)'
+  julia --project=examples -e 'include("examples/transmon/transmon_tutorial_driven.jl"); \
+      generate_transmon_driven_data(num_processors=4)'
+  julia --project=examples examples/cpw/cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven_plots.jl
+  julia --project=examples examples/transmon/transmon_tutorial_driven_plots.jl
+
+then commit the updated docs/src/assets/examples/driven_ua_*.svg.
+--->
+```
+
+# Adaptive Frequency Sweeps for Driven Simulations
+
+*Palace* has two modes for frequency-domain driven simulations: uniform and adaptive. The
+uniform solver runs one full finite-element solve per output frequency. The adaptive solver
+runs a much smaller number of full solves, constructs a projection-based reduced-order model
+(PROM), and evaluates that model over the requested output grid.
+
+The adaptive solver can be much faster than the uniform solver on fine frequency grids, but
+it introduces an approximation error that should be controlled and validated for the
+quantities of interest. The implementation details are described in the
+[adaptive driven solver reference](../reference.md#Adaptive-driven-solver-and-reduced-order-modeling).
+This page focuses on practical setup and validation.
+
+!!! warning "Advanced feature"
+
+    Adaptive driven sweeps rely on algorithmic choices inside *Palace*. They are useful and
+    efficient, but users should validate them against uniform sweeps when studying a new
+    model or a new output quantity.
+
+## Quick start
+
+The only configuration difference between uniform and adaptive driven sweeps is the value of
+[`config["Solver"]["Driven"]["AdaptiveTol"]`](../config/solver.md#solver%5B%22Driven%22%5D).
+The default value is `0.0`, which uses the uniform solver. Any positive value enables the
+adaptive solver.
+
+```json
+"Solver": {
+  "Driven": {
+    "Samples": [ {"Type": "Linear", "MinFreq": 3.5, "MaxFreq": 7.0, "FreqStep": 0.1} ],
+    "AdaptiveTol": 1e-3
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The `"Samples"` specification defines the output frequency grid for both solvers. For the
+adaptive solver this grid can usually be fine, since adding output frequencies is much
+cheaper than adding full finite-element solves. The output files, such as `domain-E.csv` and
+`port-S.csv`, have the same format in both modes.
+
+When studying a new model, a good workflow is:
+
+ 1. Run a uniform sweep on a coarse output grid or at key frequencies.
+ 2. Run the adaptive solver on the same grid and compare the quantities you care about.
+ 3. Tighten tolerances, add validation frequencies, or fall back to the uniform solver if the
+    adaptive result is not accurate enough for the application.
+ 4. Once validated, run the adaptive solver on the desired fine output grid.
+
+## Tuning parameters
+
+The most important configuration options are:
+
+  - [`config["Solver"]["Driven"]["AdaptiveTol"]`](../config/solver.md#solver%5B%22Driven%22%5D):
+    adaptive convergence tolerance. A value around `1e-3` is often a reasonable starting
+    point for S-parameter sweeps, but the right value is model- and quantity-dependent.
+  - [`config["Solver"]["Linear"]["Tol"]`](../config/solver.md#solver%5B%22Linear%22%5D):
+    linear solver tolerance for the underlying full solves. This should usually be
+    substantially smaller than `"AdaptiveTol"`. If *Palace* logs warnings about a
+    rank-deficient minimal rational interpolation, try tightening this tolerance or using a
+    looser `"AdaptiveTol"`.
+  - [`config["Solver"]["Driven"]["AdaptiveMaxSamples"]`](../config/solver.md#solver%5B%22Driven%22%5D):
+    maximum number of full samples per excitation. If this cap is reached before
+    convergence, increase it or revisit the tolerances.
+  - [`config["Solver"]["Driven"]["AdaptiveConvergenceMemory"]`](../config/solver.md#solver%5B%22Driven%22%5D):
+    number of consecutive successful sample checks required before convergence. Increasing
+    this can make early termination less likely, at the cost of more full solves.
+
+`"AdaptiveTol"` controls an error criterion on the finite-element electric-field solution,
+not a strict relative-error bound on every derived output. For example, a scattering
+parameter that is nearly zero can have a large pointwise relative error even when the
+absolute error is small. Validate the derived quantities that matter for your analysis.
+
+## Coplanar waveguide example
+
+The files for the CPW part of this guide are in
+[`examples/cpw/`](https://github.com/awslabs/palace/blob/main/examples/cpw):
+
+  - `cpw_tutorial_lumped_uniform.json`: uniform reference sweep.
+  - `cpw_tutorial_lumped_adaptive.json`: adaptive sweep template.
+  - `cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven.jl`: runs the uniform and adaptive simulations.
+  - `cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven_plots.jl`: regenerates the plots below from the simulation
+    outputs.
+
+This example revisits the lumped-port version of the
+[CPW crosstalk example](../examples/cpw.md). The uniform reference performs a full solve at
+each output frequency, while the adaptive sweeps use the same output grid but construct a
+PROM from adaptively selected full solves.
+
+The uniform solver gives the following total electric energy and S-parameter magnitude:
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_energy_uniform.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_sparam_uniform.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+For the adaptive solver, the diamond markers show the internal sample frequencies used to
+build the PROM. These samples need not coincide with the output grid, except for required
+boundary or user-forced samples.
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_energy_adaptive_single.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+As `"AdaptiveTol"` is tightened, *Palace* adds more internal samples and the error against
+the uniform reference generally decreases.
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_energy_adaptive_sweep.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+The pointwise relative error for S-parameters can look large when the reference value is
+small. In the CPW example, some scattering parameters are tiny over much of the band, so
+relative error alone can exaggerate visually small absolute differences.
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_sparam_adaptive_pointwise.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+A complementary view is the absolute error normalized by an RMS scale for the reference
+S-parameter over the frequency range:
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_domain_sparam_adaptive_rms.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+The adaptive error indicator does not have to decrease monotonically. The convergence memory
+parameter exists because an estimator can occasionally look converged before the next samples
+would reveal a larger error.
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_cpw_adaptive_convergence_curve.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+## Transmon example
+
+The transmon part of this guide uses the same geometry as the
+[transmon eigenmode example](../examples/transmon.md), but runs driven simulations by
+exciting the two resistive feedline ports. The files are in
+[`examples/transmon/`](https://github.com/awslabs/palace/blob/main/examples/transmon):
+
+  - `transmon_tutorial_driven.json`: driven simulation template.
+  - `transmon_tutorial_driven.jl`: runs the uniform and adaptive simulations.
+  - `transmon_tutorial_driven_plots.jl`: regenerates the plots below.
+
+The model contains resonant modes near the driven frequency band, so the response is more
+structured than in the CPW example. This is a useful case for adaptive sampling: the PROM can
+place full solves near the frequencies that most influence the response.
+
+The uniform driven sweep resolves the electric energy and the feedline S-parameters:
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_transmon_energy_uniform.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_transmon_sparam_uniform.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+The adaptive error is largest near resonant features and decreases as the tolerance is
+tightened. The sample locations become more structured than in the CPW example because the
+response is influenced by nearby poles.
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_transmon_energy_adaptive_sweep.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+```@raw html
+<br/><p align="center">
+  <img src="../../assets/examples/driven_ua_transmon_sparam_adaptive_rms.svg" width="80%" />
+</p><br/>
+```
+
+The uniform reference can also lose accuracy near high-``Q`` poles because the full system is
+more poorly conditioned there. Tightening only the adaptive tolerance is not useful if the
+underlying full solves are themselves inaccurate.
+
+## Regenerating the plots
+
+The committed plots are snapshots. To regenerate them, first run the simulations, then run
+the plot scripts:
+
+```bash
+julia --project=examples -e 'include("examples/cpw/cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven.jl"); generate_cpw_lumped_driven_data(num_processors=4)'
+julia --project=examples -e 'include("examples/transmon/transmon_tutorial_driven.jl"); generate_transmon_driven_data(num_processors=4)'
+julia --project=examples examples/cpw/cpw_tutorial_lumped_driven_plots.jl
+julia --project=examples examples/transmon/transmon_tutorial_driven_plots.jl
+```
+
+The scripts write SVGs to `docs/src/assets/examples/` by default.