MultiScaleArrays.jl allows you to easily build multiple-scale models that are
fully compatible with native Julia scientific computing packages like
DifferentialEquations.jl or Optim.jl. These models utilize
a tree structure to describe phenomena on multiple scales, but the interface allows
you to describe equations on different levels, using aggregations from lower
levels to describe complex systems. Their structure allows for complex and dynamic
models to be developed with only a small performance difference. In the end, they present
themselves as an AbstractArray
to standard solvers, allowing them to be used
in place of a Vector
in any appropriately made Julia package.
To install MultiScaleArrays.jl, use the Julia package manager:
using Pkg
Pkg.add("MultiScaleArrays")
The usage is best described by an example. Here we build a hierarchy where Embryos contain Tissues which contain Populations which contain Cells, and the cells contain proteins whose concentrations are modeled as simply a vector of numbers (it can be anything linearly indexable).
using MultiScaleArrays
struct Cell{B} <: AbstractMultiScaleArrayLeaf{B}
values::Vector{B}
end
struct Population{T <: AbstractMultiScaleArray, B <: Number} <: AbstractMultiScaleArray{B}
nodes::Vector{T}
values::Vector{B}
end_idxs::Vector{Int}
end
struct Tissue{T <: AbstractMultiScaleArray, B <: Number} <: AbstractMultiScaleArray{B}
nodes::Vector{T}
values::Vector{B}
end_idxs::Vector{Int}
end
struct Embryo{T <: AbstractMultiScaleArray, B <: Number} <: AbstractMultiScaleArrayHead{B}
nodes::Vector{T}
values::Vector{B}
end_idxs::Vector{Int}
end
This setup defines a type structure that is both a tree and an array. A picture of a possible version is the following:
Let's build a version of this. Using the constructors, we can directly construct leaf types:
cell1 = Cell([1.0; 2.0; 3.0])
cell2 = Cell([4.0; 5.0])
and build types higher up in the hierarchy by using the construct
method. The method
is construct(T::AbstractMultiScaleArray, nodes, values)
, though, if values
is not given, it's
taken to be empty.
cell3 = Cell([3.0; 2.0; 5.0])
cell4 = Cell([4.0; 6.0])
population = construct(Population, deepcopy([cell1, cell3, cell4]))
population2 = construct(Population, deepcopy([cell1, cell3, cell4]))
population3 = construct(Population, deepcopy([cell1, cell3, cell4]))
tissue1 = construct(Tissue, deepcopy([population, population2, population3])) # Make a Tissue from Populations
tissue2 = construct(Tissue, deepcopy([population2, population, population3]))
embryo = construct(Embryo, deepcopy([tissue1, tissue2])) # Make an embryo from Tissues
The idea behind MultiScaleArrays is simple. The *DiffEq
solvers (OrdinaryDiffEq.jl,
StochasticDiffEq.jl, DelayDiffEq.jl, etc.) and native optimization packages like
Optim.jl in their efficient in-place form all work with any Julia-defined
AbstractArray
which has a linear index. Thus, to define our multiscale model,
we develop a type which has an efficient linear index. One can think of representing
cells with proteins as each being an array with values for each protein. The linear
index of the multiscale model would be indexing through each protein of each cell.
With proper index overloads, one can define a type such that a[i]
does just that,
and thus it will work in the differential equation solvers. MultiScaleArrays.jl
takes that further by allowing one to recursively define an arbitrary n
-level
hierarchical model which has efficient indexing structures. The result is a type
which models complex behavior, but the standard differential equation solvers will
work directly and efficiently on this type, making it easy to develop novel models
without having to re-develop advanced adaptive/stiff/stochastic/etc. solving
techniques for each new model.
-
Please refer to the SciML ColPrac: Contributor's Guide on Collaborative Practices for Community Packages for guidance on PRs, issues, and other matters relating to contributing to SciML.
-
See the SciML Style Guide for common coding practices and other style decisions.
-
There are a few community forums:
- The #diffeq-bridged and #sciml-bridged channels in the Julia Slack
- The #diffeq-bridged and #sciml-bridged channels in the Julia Zulip
- On the Julia Discourse forums
- See also SciML Community page
<details><summary>The documentation of this SciML package was built using these direct dependencies,</summary>
using Pkg # hide
Pkg.status() # hide
</details>
<details><summary>and using this machine and Julia version.</summary>
using InteractiveUtils # hide
versioninfo() # hide
</details>
<details><summary>A more complete overview of all dependencies and their versions is also provided.</summary>
using Pkg # hide
Pkg.status(; mode = PKGMODE_MANIFEST) # hide
</details>
using TOML
using Markdown
version = TOML.parse(read("../../Project.toml", String))["version"]
name = TOML.parse(read("../../Project.toml", String))["name"]
link_manifest = "https://github.com/SciML/" * name * ".jl/tree/gh-pages/v" * version *
"/assets/Manifest.toml"
link_project = "https://github.com/SciML/" * name * ".jl/tree/gh-pages/v" * version *
"/assets/Project.toml"
Markdown.parse("""You can also download the
[manifest]($link_manifest)
file and the
[project]($link_project)
file.
""")