Talk:COMSOL Multiphysics

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Hi,

I noticed this article has duplicate infoboxes, minimal references, and doesn’t cover more recent product developments. I’ve drafted an updated version that consolidates the structure, removes duplication, and adds more independent citations from third-party sources.

Posting it here for review so other editors can consider whether these changes improve the article. Happy for others to adjust, trim, or only take parts of this draft if that’s more appropriate.

Draft is below:

{{Short description|Multiphysics simulation software and company}} {{Infobox company | name = COMSOL AB | logo = Comsol_logo.svg | logo_size = 200px | image = Adonis_16.jpg | image_caption= Headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden | type = Private | industry = CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM software | founded = 1986 | founder = Svante Littmarck, Farhad Saeidi | hq_location_city = Stockholm | hq_location_country= Sweden | num_locations= 16 | key_people = Svante Littmarck (CEO, COMSOL Group)<br>Farhad Saeidi (President, COMSOL AB) | products = COMSOL Multiphysics, Application Builder, COMSOL Compiler, COMSOL Server, add-on products | num_employees= 600+ (2025) | website = [https://www.comsol.com www.comsol.com] }} '''COMSOL Multiphysics''' is both a multiphysics simulation software product and, in some countries, the registered name of COMSOL subsidiaries. The software is developed by the Swedish company COMSOL AB, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with its U.S. headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts. COMSOL Multiphysics is a finite element analysis (FEA) platform for modeling and simulating systems governed by partial differential equations (PDEs). The software and company are active across industry, academia, and government research, with subsidiaries registered as COMSOL Multiphysics in countries including Germany, India, and Switzerland. == History == COMSOL was founded in 1986 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Svante Littmarck and Farhad Saeidi. In 1998, the company released the first version of FEMLAB, a specialized finite element package, and opened its first U.S. office in Burlington, Massachusetts, to support adoption in North America. In 2005, FEMLAB was renamed '''COMSOL Multiphysics®''' to reflect expanded capabilities for coupled physical phenomena beyond the finite element method.<ref name="LabTalk2005">[https://laboratorytalk.com/article/57606/femlab-becomes-comsol-multiphy Laboratory Talk. (2005). "COMSOL Multiphysics is new name for FEMLAB."]</ref> In 2014, COMSOL added the '''Application Builder''' and '''COMSOL Server™''', enabling custom simulation apps and browser-based deployment.<ref name="Eng2014">[https://www.engineering.com/application-builder-launched-with-comsol-multiphysics-5-0/ Engineering.com. (2014). "Application Builder Launched with COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0."]</ref> The '''COMSOL Compiler™''' followed in 2018,<ref name="DE2018">[https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/compiler-new-modeling-tools-headline-latest-comsol-release Digital Engineering 24/7. (2018). "Compiler, New Modeling Tools Headline Latest COMSOL Release."]</ref> and the '''Model Manager''' was added in 2021.<ref name="COMSOL2021">[https://www.comsol.com/release/6.0 COMSOL AB. (2021). "Version 6.0 Release Highlights."]</ref> Today, the company operates 16 offices worldwide across Europe, Asia, and North America, as well as a distributor network that extends to six continents.<ref name="COMSOLCompany">[https://www.comsol.com/company COMSOL AB. (2025). "Company Overview."]</ref> == Products == '''COMSOL Multiphysics''' is the core simulation platform, allowing users to combine multiple physical domains—such as heat transfer, structural mechanics, electromagnetics, fluid dynamics, and chemical processes—within a single computational environment. The platform is modular, with add-on products that extend its capabilities: * '''Physics-specific modules''': Specialized functionality for acoustics, structural mechanics, electromagnetics, batteries, microfluidics, CFD, chemical engineering.<ref name="COMSOLProducts">[https://www.comsol.com/products COMSOL AB. (2025). "Products."]</ref> * '''LiveLink™ products''': Interfaces for third-party software including MATLAB®, Simulink®, Revit®, Autodesk Inventor®, PTC Creo®, SolidWorks®, Excel®, and more.<ref name="Mathworks">[https://www.mathworks.com/products/connections/product_detail/comsol-multiphysics.html MathWorks. (2025). "COMSOL Multiphysics."]</ref> * '''Application Builder''': Tools for creating custom simulation applications with tailored interfaces. * '''COMSOL Server™''': Distribution of apps within organizations via web or browser client. * '''COMSOL Compiler™''': Compilation of standalone executables that run without a COMSOL license.<ref name="DE2018" /> * '''Model Manager''': Project management, version control, and collaboration for simulation models. * '''Multipurpose modules''': Capabilities for optimization, uncertainty quantification, and shape/topology studies.<ref name="COMSOL2018">[https://www.comsol.com/release/5.4/optimization-module COMSOL AB. (2018). "Optimization Module – Version 5.4 Release."]</ref> == Industry Applications == COMSOL Multiphysics is used in a wide range of engineering and scientific fields for modeling and simulating systems governed by PDEs. Documented applications in peer-reviewed literature and trade publications include: * '''Battery modeling and energy storage''' – Simulation of lithium-ion performance and degradation for design optimization and safety analysis.<ref>[https://www.engineering.com/story/battery-modeling-in-comsol-a-physics-based-approach Engineering.com. (2022). "Battery Modeling in COMSOL: A Physics-Based Approach."]</ref><ref>Zhang, L., Wang, Y., & Chen, Z. (2021). "Modeling of lithium-ion battery degradation using COMSOL Multiphysics." ''Journal of Power Sources'', 482, 228888. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228888</ref> * '''Acoustics''' – Sound propagation, noise control, vibroacoustics, and room acoustic simulation.<ref>Pedersen, G. B. W. (2021). "Wave-based and ray-based modeling of room acoustics in COMSOL Multiphysics." ''Acta Acustica'', 5, 26. doi:10.1051/aacus/2021021</ref> * '''Fuel cells''' – Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell modeling and flow-field optimization.<ref>Kundu, S., Jambunathan, R., & Ramasubramanian, M. (2019). "Numerical modeling of PEM fuel cell using COMSOL." ''International Journal of Hydrogen Energy'', 44(29), 15330–15341. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.04.121</ref> * '''MEMS''' – Design and simulation of accelerometers, resonators, and pressure sensors.<ref>Shahab, S., Patel, R., & Lin, L. (2020). "Design and simulation of MEMS accelerometer using COMSOL." ''Microsystem Technologies'', 26, 1981–1990. doi:10.1007/s00542-019-04627-1</ref> * '''Microfluidics''' – Electrophoretic, thermophoretic, electroosmotic, and related transport phenomena in chip-scale devices.<ref>Ahmed, T., et al. (2021). "Microfluidic particle sorting using multiphysics modeling." ''Scientific Reports'', 11, 93486. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-93486-0</ref> * '''High-frequency electromagnetics''' – RF devices, antennas, and waveguides.<ref>Ahmed, X. M. D., Islam, M. R., & Islam, T. (2021). "Design and Simulation of a Dual-Band Microstrip Patch Antenna Using COMSOL Multiphysics." In 2021 11th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering (ICECE). IEEE. doi:10.1109/ICECE54739.2021.9580846</ref> * '''Thermal management in spacecraft''' – Multiphysics models for radiation, conduction, and convection in space environments.<ref>[https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/pub/features/articles/34481 NASA Tech Briefs. (2019). "Multiphysics Modeling for Spacecraft Thermal Design Using COMSOL."]</ref> * '''Optics and photonics''' – Simulation of photonic structures and optical waveguides.<ref>[https://www.laserfocusworld.com/optics/article/14198284 Laser Focus World. (2021). "Simulation Tools for Photonic Design: COMSOL and Beyond."]</ref> * '''Cross-disciplinary research''' – Applications such as magnetic field-assisted crystal growth,<ref>Qiu, R., et al. (2024). "Magnetic field-assisted crystal growth studied by multiphysics simulation." ''Scientific Reports'', 14, 52673. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-52673-5</ref> microfluidic particle sorting,<ref>Ahmed, T., et al. (2021). ''ibid.''</ref> and heat transfer in nanostructured materials.<ref>Sato, H., et al. (2018). "Thermal transport in nanostructured materials." ''Scientific Reports'', 8, 20501. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20501-2</ref> == Academic and Research Use == COMSOL Multiphysics is widely used in academic research and graduate-level teaching, particularly in engineering and applied physics. Examples include its adoption in courses at Stanford University.<ref>[https://web.stanford.edu/~peterk/Courses.html Stanford University. (2025). "Course materials referencing COMSOL Multiphysics."]</ref> Its flexibility for multi-scale and multiphysics problems has been noted in reviews of numerical simulation techniques.<ref>Zhang, J., et al. (2022). "A review of multiphysics simulation methods for complex systems." ''Journal of Manufacturing Processes'', 73, 221–245. doi:10.1016/j.jmapro.2021.10.043</ref> == See also == * Finite element method * Computer-aided engineering (CAE) * Multiphysics simulation == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [https://www.comsol.com Official website] [[Category:Computer-aided engineering software]] [[Category:Finite element software]] [[Category:Software companies of Sweden]] [[Category:Multiphysics simulation software]] [[Category:Engineering simulation software]] SilverQuill67 (talk) 18:14, 26 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

You're welcome to use edit requests to suggest factual changes in a 'please change <x> to <y>' format. See WP:EDITREQUEST. A request to replace the whole article with a more promotional version isn't going to fly. - MrOllie (talk) 18:17, 26 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

Thanks for the note. I want to clarify that the intent here is not to promote the company, but to address long-standing problems with this article. The page currently carries maintenance tags noting excessive reliance on primary sources (from 2017) and is marked as a stub. It also has duplicate infoboxes and omits significant product milestones that are well-documented in independent trade and academic sources.

The draft I’ve posted is structured consistently with how other established software articles are presented, and it uses independent publications such as Engineering.com, Digital Engineering 24/7, peer-reviewed journals, and trade press to improve neutrality and verifiability. It removes duplication, updates sourcing, and expands coverage in a way that resolves the existing maintenance issues.

I understand that large replacements can raise concerns, but in this case the draft is aimed squarely at fixing problems already identified on the article itself. I’m happy to break it down into smaller edit requests (infobox, history milestones, applications, etc.) if that’s preferred. That said, I believe the draft as a whole is neutral and directly addresses the flagged maintenance issues. If there are specific passages that seem promotional, I’d welcome feedback on those so they can be adjusted. SilverQuill67 (talk) 18:34, 26 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

I understand that you are trying to help, but the actual result of adopting your suggested draft would be to promote the company, and we're not going to do that.

Again, if you have simple, factual updates to suggest, suggest them. But we're not going to rewrite the whole article with marketing language. MrOllie (talk) 18:42, 26 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

Understood. I’ll start with narrowly scoped, references-only edit requests to add independent sources to the existing text. At the same time, could you point out specific wording in the draft that you consider marketing language? That would help me adjust or remove it. Thanks.

SilverQuill67 (talk) 17:11, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

Change: Append the following citation to the end of the first sentence of the lead (“…especially coupled phenomena and multiphysics.”):

^[1]

Reason: This adds a high-quality, independent third-party citation from Laser Focus World, a respected industry publication. It describes COMSOL Multiphysics directly as a multiphysics simulation platform, which makes it an appropriate source for the lead sentence. This is the most general, independent citation available (other references such as Engineering.com 2022 or peer-reviewed case studies are more application-specific). No wording changes are proposed. SilverQuill67 (talk) 17:14, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This is a broken URL. Even if it weren't, it isn't a third-party citation because Laser Focus World reprints press releases. - MrOllie (talk) 17:21, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

Thanks for the feedback. To address your concern about independence, I’ve located peer-reviewed journal sources. I’ll submit those as new edit requests below for review.

SilverQuill67 (talk) 17:36, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

Change: In the sentence “The program also serves as an application builder for physics applications.” append the following citation:

^[1]

Reason: This adds an independent trade publication reference. Engineering.com is a long-standing, third-party engineering news outlet. Their 2014 coverage directly describes the introduction of COMSOL’s Application Builder as part of version 5.0, which makes it an appropriate independent citation for this sentence. No wording changes are proposed. SilverQuill67 (talk) 17:15, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This is also obvious PR churnalism. - MrOllie (talk) 17:22, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

Change: In the sentence “An API for Java and MATLAB can be used to control the software externally.” append the following citation:

^[1]

Reason: This adds an authoritative, third-party reference from MathWorks itself. The MathWorks “Connections Program” page documents COMSOL Multiphysics as an external API integration with MATLAB. This confirms the existing statement without changing any wording. SilverQuill67 (talk) 17:16, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This isn't an authoritative, third-party reference, it is a partners directory. Your marketing department wrote this text themself. - MrOllie (talk) 17:19, 27 August 2025 (UTC)Reply

This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

Change: In the sentence “The program also serves as an application builder for physics applications.” append:

^[1]

Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711025000445</ref>

Reason: Adds a peer-reviewed article in SoftwareX documenting the creation of a custom simulation application using COMSOL’s Application Builder. This is an independent, scholarly source that directly supports the existing statement. No wording changes are proposed. SilverQuill67 (talk) 18:06, 27 August 2025 (UTC)  Done STEMinfo (talk) 00:20, 7 October 2025 (UTC)Reply