OpenClaw-Medical-Skills linear-solvers

Select and configure linear solvers for systems Ax=b in dense and sparse problems. Use when choosing direct vs iterative methods, diagnosing convergence issues, estimating conditioning, selecting preconditioners, or debugging stagnation in GMRES/CG/BiCGSTAB.

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/FreedomIntelligence/OpenClaw-Medical-Skills
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/FreedomIntelligence/OpenClaw-Medical-Skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/linear-solvers" ~/.claude/skills/freedomintelligence-openclaw-medical-skills-linear-solvers && rm -rf "$T"
OpenClaw · Install into ~/.openclaw/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/FreedomIntelligence/OpenClaw-Medical-Skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/linear-solvers" ~/.openclaw/skills/freedomintelligence-openclaw-medical-skills-linear-solvers && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: skills/linear-solvers/SKILL.md
source content

Linear Solvers

Goal

Provide a universal workflow to select a solver, assess conditioning, and diagnose convergence for linear systems arising in numerical simulations.

Requirements

  • Python 3.8+
  • NumPy, SciPy (for matrix operations)
  • See individual scripts for dependencies

Inputs to Gather

InputDescriptionExample
Matrix sizeDimension of system
n = 1000000
SparsityFraction of nonzeros
0.01%
SymmetryIs A = Aᵀ?
yes
DefinitenessIs A positive definite?
yes (SPD)
ConditioningEstimated condition number
10⁶

Decision Guidance

Solver Selection Flowchart

Is matrix small (n < 5000) and dense?
├── YES → Use direct solver (LU, Cholesky)
└── NO → Is matrix symmetric?
    ├── YES → Is it positive definite?
    │   ├── YES → Use CG with AMG/IC preconditioner
    │   └── NO → Use MINRES
    └── NO → Is it nearly symmetric?
        ├── YES → Use BiCGSTAB
        └── NO → Use GMRES with ILU/AMG

Quick Reference

Matrix TypeSolverPreconditioner
SPD, sparseCGAMG, IC
Symmetric indefiniteMINRESILU
NonsymmetricGMRES, BiCGSTABILU, AMG
DenseLU, CholeskyNone
Saddle pointSchur complement, UzawaBlock preconditioner

Script Outputs (JSON Fields)

ScriptKey Outputs
scripts/solver_selector.py
recommended
,
alternatives
,
notes
scripts/convergence_diagnostics.py
rate
,
stagnation
,
recommended_action
scripts/sparsity_stats.py
nnz
,
density
,
bandwidth
,
symmetry
scripts/preconditioner_advisor.py
suggested
,
notes
scripts/scaling_equilibration.py
row_scale
,
col_scale
,
notes
scripts/residual_norms.py
residual_norms
,
relative_norms
,
converged

Workflow

  1. Characterize matrix - symmetry, definiteness, sparsity
  2. Analyze sparsity - Run
    scripts/sparsity_stats.py
  3. Select solver - Run
    scripts/solver_selector.py
  4. Choose preconditioner - Run
    scripts/preconditioner_advisor.py
  5. Apply scaling - If ill-conditioned, use
    scripts/scaling_equilibration.py
  6. Monitor convergence - Use
    scripts/convergence_diagnostics.py
  7. Diagnose issues - Check residual history with
    scripts/residual_norms.py

Conversational Workflow Example

User: My GMRES solver is stagnating after 50 iterations. The residual drops to 1e-3 then stops improving.

Agent workflow:

  1. Diagnose convergence:
    python3 scripts/convergence_diagnostics.py --residuals 1,0.1,0.01,0.005,0.003,0.002,0.002,0.002 --json
    
  2. Check for preconditioning advice:
    python3 scripts/preconditioner_advisor.py --matrix-type nonsymmetric --sparse --stagnation --json
    
  3. Recommend: Increase restart parameter, try ILU(k) with higher k, or switch to AMG.

Pre-Solve Checklist

  • Confirm matrix symmetry/definiteness
  • Decide direct vs iterative based on size and sparsity
  • Set residual tolerance relative to physics scale
  • Choose preconditioner appropriate to matrix structure
  • Apply scaling/equilibration if needed
  • Track convergence and adjust if stagnation occurs

CLI Examples

# Analyze sparsity pattern
python3 scripts/sparsity_stats.py --matrix A.npy --json

# Select solver for SPD sparse system
python3 scripts/solver_selector.py --symmetric --positive-definite --sparse --size 1000000 --json

# Get preconditioner recommendation
python3 scripts/preconditioner_advisor.py --matrix-type spd --sparse --json

# Diagnose convergence from residual history
python3 scripts/convergence_diagnostics.py --residuals 1,0.2,0.05,0.01 --json

# Apply scaling
python3 scripts/scaling_equilibration.py --matrix A.npy --symmetric --json

# Compute residual norms
python3 scripts/residual_norms.py --residual 1,0.1,0.01 --rhs 1,0,0 --json

Error Handling

ErrorCauseResolution
Matrix file not found
Invalid pathCheck file exists
Matrix must be square
Non-square inputVerify matrix dimensions
Residuals must be positive
Invalid residual dataCheck input format

Interpretation Guidance

Convergence Rate

RateMeaningAction
< 0.1ExcellentCurrent setup optimal
0.1 - 0.5GoodAcceptable for most problems
0.5 - 0.9SlowConsider better preconditioner
> 0.9StagnationChange solver or preconditioner

Stagnation Diagnosis

PatternLikely CauseFix
Flat residualPoor preconditionerImprove preconditioner
OscillatingNear-singular or indefiniteCheck matrix, try different solver
Very slow decayIll-conditionedApply scaling, use AMG

Limitations

  • Large dense matrices: Direct solvers may run out of memory
  • Highly indefinite: Standard preconditioners may fail
  • Saddle-point: Requires specialized block preconditioners

References

  • references/solver_decision_tree.md
    - Selection logic
  • references/preconditioner_catalog.md
    - Preconditioner options
  • references/convergence_patterns.md
    - Diagnosing failures
  • references/scaling_guidelines.md
    - Equilibration guidance

Version History

  • v1.1.0 (2024-12-24): Enhanced documentation, decision guidance, examples
  • v1.0.0: Initial release with 6 solver analysis scripts