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649 lines
33 KiB
HTML
<HTML>
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<CENTER><A HREF = "http://lammps.sandia.gov">LAMMPS WWW Site</A> - <A HREF = "Manual.html">LAMMPS Documentation</A> - <A HREF = "Section_commands.html#comm">LAMMPS Commands</A>
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<HR>
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<H3>variable command
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</H3>
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<P><B>Syntax:</B>
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</P>
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<PRE>variable name style args ...
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</PRE>
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<UL><LI>name = name of variable to define
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<LI>style = <I>delete</I> or <I>index</I> or <I>loop</I> or <I>world</I> or <I>universe</I> or <I>uloop</I> or <I>string</I> or <I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I>
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<PRE> <I>delete</I> = no args
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<I>index</I> args = one or more strings
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<I>loop</I> args = N = integer size of loop
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<I>world</I> args = one string for each partition of processors
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<I>universe</I> args = one or more strings
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<I>uloop</I> args = N = integer size of loop
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<I>string</I> arg = one string
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<I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I> args = one formula containing numbers, thermo keywords, math operations, group functions, atom values and vectors, compute/fix/variable references
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numbers = 0.0, 100, -5.4, 2.8e-4, etc
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thermo keywords = vol, ke, press, etc from <A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style</A>
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math operators = (), -x, x+y, x-y, x*y, x/y, x^y,
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x==y, x!=y, x<y, x<=y, x>y, x>=y, x&&y, x||y
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math functions = sqrt(x), exp(x), ln(x), log(x),
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sin(x), cos(x), tan(x), asin(x), acos(x), atan(x),
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ceil(x), floor(x), round(x)
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group functions = count(group), mass(group), charge(group),
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xcm(group,dim), vcm(group,dim), fcm(group,dim),
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bound(group,xmin), gyration(group), ke(group),
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angmom(group,dim),inertia(group,dimdim),omega(group,dim)
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region functions = count(group,region), mass(group,region), charge(group,region),
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xcm(group,dim,region), vcm(group,dim,region), fcm(group,dim,region),
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bound(group,xmin,region), gyration(group,region), ke(group,reigon),
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angmom(group,dim,region), inertia(group,dimdim,region),omega(group,dim,region)
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atom value = mass[i], type[i], x[i], y[i], z[i], vx[i], vy[i], vz[i], fx[i], fy[i], fz[i]
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atom vector = mass, type, x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, fx, fy, fz
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compute references = c_ID, c_ID[i], c_ID[i][j]
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fix references = f_ID, f_ID[i], f_ID[i][j]
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variable references = v_name, v_name[i]
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</PRE>
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</UL>
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<P><B>Examples:</B>
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</P>
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<PRE>variable x index run1 run2 run3 run4 run5 run6 run7 run8
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variable LoopVar loop $n
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variable beta equal temp/3.0
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variable b1 equal x[234]+0.5*vol
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variable b1 equal "x[234] + 0.5*vol"
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variable b equal xcm(mol1,x)/2.0
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variable b equal c_myTemp
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variable b atom x*y/vol
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variable foo myfile
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variable temp world 300.0 310.0 320.0 ${Tfinal}
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variable x universe 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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variable x uloop 15
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variable x delete
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</PRE>
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<P><B>Description:</B>
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</P>
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<P>This command assigns one or more strings to a variable name for
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evaluation later in the input script or during a simulation.
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</P>
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<P>Variables can be used in several ways in LAMMPS. A variable can be
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referenced elsewhere in an input script to become part of a new input
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command. For variable styles that store multiple strings, the
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<A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command can be used to increment which string is
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assigned to the variable. Variables of style <I>equal</I> store a formula
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which when evaluated produces a single numeric value which can be
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output either directly (see the <A HREF = "print.html">print</A>, <A HREF = "fix_print.html">fix
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print</A>, and <A HREF = "run.html">run every</A> commands) or as part
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of thermodynamic output (see the <A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style</A>
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command), or used as input to an averaging fix (see the <A HREF = "fix_ave_time.html">fix
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ave/time</A> command). Variables of style <I>atom</I> store
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a formula which when evaluated produces one numeric value per atom
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which can be output to a dump file (see the <A HREF = "dump.html">dump custom</A>
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command) or used as input to an averaging fix (see the <A HREF = "fix_ave_spatial.html">fix
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ave/spatial</A> and <A HREF = "fix_ave_atom.html">fix ave/atom</A>
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commands).
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</P>
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<P>In the discussion that follows, the "name" of the variable is the
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arbitrary string that is the 1st argument in the variable command.
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This name can only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores.
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The "string" is one or more of the subsequent arguments. The "string"
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can be simple text as in the 1st example above, it can contain other
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variables as in the 2nd example, or it can be a formula as in the 3rd
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example. The "value" is the numeric quantity resulting from
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evaluation of the string. Note that the same string can generate
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different values when it is evaluated at different times during a
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simulation.
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</P>
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<P>IMPORTANT NOTE: When the input script line that defines a variable of
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style <I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I> that contain a formula is encountered, the
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formula is NOT immediately evaluated and the result stored. See the
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discussion below about "Immediate Evaluation of Variables" if you want
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to do this.
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</P>
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<P>IMPORTANT NOTE: When a variable command is encountered in the input
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script and the variable name has already been specified, the command
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is ignored. This means variables can NOT be re-defined in an input
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script (with 2 exceptions, read further). This is to allow an input
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script to be processed multiple times without resetting the variables;
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see the <A HREF = "jump.html">jump</A> or <A HREF = "include.html">include</A> commands. It also
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means that using the <A HREF = "Section_start.html#2_6">command-line switch</A> -var
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will override a corresponding index variable setting in the input
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script.
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</P>
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<P>There are two exceptions to this rule. First, variables of style
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<I>string</I> and <I>equal</I> and <I>atom</I> ARE redefined each time the command is
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encountered. This allows these style of variables to be redefined
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multiple times in an input script. In a loop, this means the formula
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associated with an <I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I> style variable can change if it
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contains a substitution for another variable, e.g. $x.
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</P>
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<P>Second, as described below, if a variable is iterated on to the end of
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its list of strings via the <A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command, it is removed
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from the list of active variables, and is thus available to be
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re-defined in a subsequent variable command. The <I>delete</I> style does
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the same thing.
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</P>
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<HR>
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<P><A HREF = "Section_commands.html#3_2">This section</A> of the manual explains how
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occurrences of a variable name in an input script line are replaced by
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the variable's string. The variable name can be referenced as $x if
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the name "x" is a single character, or as ${LoopVar} if the name
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"LoopVar" is one or more characters.
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</P>
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<P>As described below, for variable styles <I>index</I>, <I>loop</I>, <I>universe</I>,
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and <I>uloop</I>, which string is assigned to a variable can be incremented
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via the <A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command. When there are no more strings to
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assign, the variable is exhausted and a flag is set that causes the
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next <A HREF = "jump.html">jump</A> command encountered in the input script to be
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skipped. This enables the construction of simple loops in the input
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script that are iterated over and then exited from.
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</P>
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<P>As explained above, an exhausted variable can be re-used in an input
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script. The <I>delete</I> style also removes the variable, the same as if
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it were exhausted, allowing it to be redefined later in the input
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script or when the input script is looped over. This can be useful
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when breaking out of a loop via the <A HREF = "if.html">if</A> and <A HREF = "jump.html">jump</A>
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commands before the variable would become exhausted. For example,
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</P>
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<PRE>label loop
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variable a loop 5
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print "A = $a"
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if $a > 2 then "jump in.script break"
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next a
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jump in.script loop
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label break
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variable a delete
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</PRE>
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<HR>
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<P>For the <I>index</I> style, one or more strings are specified. Initially,
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the 1st string is assigned to the variable. Each time a
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<A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command is used with the variable name, the next
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string is assigned. All processors assign the same string to the
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variable.
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</P>
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<P><I>Index</I> style variables with a single string value can also be set by
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using the command-line switch -var; see <A HREF = "Section_start.html#2_6">this
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section</A> for details.
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</P>
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<P>The <I>loop</I> style is identical to the <I>index</I> style except that the
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strings are the integers from 1 to N. This allows generation of a
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long list of runs (e.g. 1000) without having to list N strings in the
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input script. Initially, the string "1" is assigned to the variable.
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Each time a <A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command is used with the variable name,
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the next string ("2", "3", etc) is assigned. All processors assign
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the same string to the variable.
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</P>
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<P>For the <I>world</I> style, one or more strings are specified. There must
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be one string for each processor partition or "world". See <A HREF = "Section_start.html#2_6">this
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section</A> of the manual for information on
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running LAMMPS with multiple partitions via the "-partition"
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command-line switch. This variable command assigns one string to each
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world. All processors in the world are assigned the same string. The
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next command cannot be used with <I>equal</I> style variables, since there
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is only one value per world. This style of variable is useful when
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you wish to run different simulations on different partitions, or when
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performing a parallel tempering simulation (see the
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<A HREF = "temper.html">temper</A> command), to assign different temperatures to
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different partitions.
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</P>
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<P>For the <I>universe</I> style, one or more strings are specified. There
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must be at least as many strings as there are processor partitions or
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"worlds". See <A HREF = "Section_start.html#2_6">this page</A> for information on
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running LAMMPS with multiple partitions via the "-partition"
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command-line switch. This variable command initially assigns one
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string to each world. When a <A HREF = "next.html">next</A> command is encountered
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using this variable, the first processor partition to encounter it, is
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assigned the next available string. This continues until all the
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variable strings are consumed. Thus, this command can be used to run
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50 simulations on 8 processor partitions. The simulations will be run
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one after the other on whatever partition becomes available, until
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they are all finished. <I>Universe</I> style variables are incremented
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using the files "tmp.lammps.variable" and "tmp.lammps.variable.lock"
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which you will see in your directory during such a LAMMPS run.
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</P>
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<P>The <I>uloop</I> style is identical to the <I>universe</I> style except that the
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strings are the integers from 1 to N. This allows generation of long
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list of runs (e.g. 1000) without having to list N strings in the input
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script.
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</P>
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<HR>
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<P>For the <I>equal</I> and <I>atom</I> styles, a single string is specified which
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represents a formula that will be evaluated afresh each time the
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variable is used. If you want spaces in the string, enclose it in
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double quotes so the parser will treat it as a single argument. For
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<I>equal</I> style variables the formula computes a scalar quantity, which
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becomes the value of the variable whenever it is evaluated. For
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<I>atom</I> style variables the formula computes one quantity for each
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atom whenever it is evaluated.
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</P>
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<P>Note that <I>equal</I> and <I>atom</I> variables can produce different values at
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different stages of the input script or at different times during a
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run. For example, if an <I>equal</I> variable is used in a <A HREF = "fix_print.html">fix
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print</A> command, different values could be printed each
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timestep it was invoked. If you want a variable to be evaluated
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immediately, so that the result is stored by the variable instead of
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the string, see the section below on "Immediate Evaluation of
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Variables".
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</P>
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<P>The next command cannot be used with <I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I> style
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variables, since there is only one string.
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</P>
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<P>The formula for an <I>equal</I> or <I>atom</I> variable can contain a variety
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of quantities. The syntax for each kind of quantity is simple, but
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multiple quantities can be nested and combined in various ways to
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build up formulas of arbitrary complexity. For example, this is a
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valid (though strange) variable formula:
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</P>
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<PRE>variable x equal "pe + c_MyTemp / vol^(1/3)"
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</PRE>
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<P>Specifically, an formula can contain numbers, thermo keywords, math
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operators, math functions, group functions, region functions, atom
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values, atom vectors, compute references, fix references, and
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references to other variables.
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</P>
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<DIV ALIGN=center><TABLE BORDER=1 >
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<TR><TD >Number</TD><TD > 0.2, 100, 1.0e20, -15.4, etc</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Thermo keywords</TD><TD > vol, pe, ebond, etc</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Math operators</TD><TD > (), -x, x+y, x-y, x*y, x/y, x^y, x==y, x!=y, x<y, x<=y, x>y, x>=y, x&&y, x||y</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Math functions</TD><TD > sqrt(x), exp(x), ln(x), log(x), sin(x), cos(x), tan(x), asin(x), acos(x), atan(x), ceil(x), floor(x), round(x)</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Group functions</TD><TD > count(ID), mass(ID), charge(ID), xcm(ID,dim), vcm(ID,dim), fcm(ID,dim), bound(ID,dir), gyration(ID), ke(ID), angmom(ID,dim), inertia(ID,dimdim), omega(ID,dim)</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Region functions</TD><TD > count(ID,IDR), mass(ID,IDR), charge(ID,IDR), xcm(ID,dim,IDR), vcm(ID,dim,IDR), fcm(ID,dim,IDR), bound(ID,dir,IDR), gyration(ID,IDR), ke(ID,IDR), angmom(ID,dim,IDR), inertia(ID,dimdim,IDR), omega(ID,dim,IDR)</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Atom values</TD><TD > mass[i], type[i], x[i], y[i], z[i], vx[i], vy[i], vz[i], fx[i], fy[i], fz[i]</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Atom vectors</TD><TD > mass, type, x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, fx, fy, fz</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Compute references</TD><TD > c_ID, c_ID[i], c_ID[i][j]</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Fix references</TD><TD > f_ID, f_ID[i], f_ID[i][j]</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD >Other variables</TD><TD > v_name, v_name[i]
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</TD></TR></TABLE></DIV>
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<P>Most of the formula elements generate scalar values. The exceptions
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are those that represent a per-atom vector of values. These are the
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atom vectors, compute references that represent a per-atom vector, fix
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references that represent a per-atom vector, and variables that are
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atom-style variables.
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</P>
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<P>A formula for equal-style variables cannot use any formula element
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that generates a per-atom vector. A formula for an atom-style
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variable can use formula elements that produce either scalar values or
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per-atom vectors.
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</P>
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<P>The thermo keywords allowed in a formula are those defined by the
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<A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style custom</A> command. Thermo keywords that
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require a <A HREF = "compute.html">compute</A> to calculate their values such as
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"temp" or "press", use computes stored and invoked by the
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<A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style</A> command. This means that you can
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only use those keywords in a variable if the style you are using with
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the thermo_style command (and the thermo keywords associated with that
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style) also define and use the needed compute. Note that some thermo
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keywords use a compute indirectly to calculate their value (e.g. the
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enthalpy keyword uses temp, pe, and pressure). If a variable is
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evaluated directly in an input script (not during a run), then the
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values accessed by the thermo keyword must be current. See the
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discussion below about "Variable Accuracy".
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</P>
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<P>Math operators are written in the usual way, where the "x" and "y" in
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the examples above can be another section of the formula. Operators
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are evaluated left to right and have the usual C-style precedence:
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unary minus before exponentiation ("^"); exponentiation before
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multiplication and division; multiplication and division before
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addition and subtraction; addition and subtraction before the 4
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relational operators "<", "<=", ">", and ">="; those 4 relational
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operators before the remaining two relational operators "==" and "!=";
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those two relational operators before the logical AND operator "&&";
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and the AND operator "&&" before the logical OR operator "||".
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Parenthesis can be used to group one or more portions of a formula and
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enforce a different order of evaluation than what would occur with the
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default precedence.
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</P>
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<P>The 6 relational operators return either a 1.0 or 0.0 depending on
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whether the relationship between x and y is true or false. For
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example the expression x<10.0 in an atom-style variable formula will
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return 1.0 for all atoms whose x-coordinate is less than 10.0, and 0.0
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for the others. The logical AND operator will return 1.0 of both its
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arguments are non-zero, else return a 0.0. The logical OR operator
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will return 1.0 of either of its arguments is non-zero, else return a
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0.0. These relational and logical operators can be used as a masking
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or selection operation in a formula. For example, the number of atoms
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whose properties satisy one or more criteria could be calculated by
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taking the returned per-atom vector of ones and zeroes and passing it
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to the <A HREF = "compute_reduce.html">compute reduce</A> command.
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</P>
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<P>Math functions can be specified as keywords followed by a
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parenthesized argument, e.g. sqrt(v_ke). Note that ln() is the
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natural log; log() is the base 10 log. The ceil(), floor(), and
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round() operations are those in the C math library. Ceil() is the
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smallest integer not less than its argument. Floor() if the largest
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integer not greater than its argument. Round() is the nearest integer
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to its argument.
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</P>
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<P>Group functions take one or two arguments in a specific format. The
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first argument is the group-ID. The <I>dim</I> argument, if it exists, is
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<I>x</I> or <I>y</I> or <I>z</I>. The <I>dir</I> argument, if it exists, is <I>xmin</I>,
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<I>xmax</I>, <I>ymin</I>, <I>ymax</I>, <I>zmin</I>, or <I>zmax</I>. The <I>dimdim</I> argument, if it
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exists, is <I>xx</I> or <I>yy</I> or <I>zz</I> or <I>xy</I> or <I>yz</I> or <I>xz</I>.
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</P>
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<P>The group function count() is the number of atoms in the group. The
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group functions mass() and charge() are the total mass and charge of
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the group. Xcm() and vcm() return components of the position and
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velocity of the center of mass of the group. Fcm() returns a
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component of the total force on the group of atoms. Bound() returns
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the min/max of a particular coordinate for all atoms in the group.
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Gyration() computes the radius-of-gyration of the group of atoms. See
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the <A HREF = "compute_gyration.html">compute gyration</A> command for a definition
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of the formula. Angmom() returns components of the angular momentum
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of the group of atoms around its center of mass. Inertia() returns
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one of 6 components of the inertia tensor of the group of atoms around
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its center of mass. Omega() returns components of the angular
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velocity of the group of atoms around its center of mass.
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</P>
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<P>Region functions are exactly the same as group functions except they
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take an extra argument which is the region ID. The function is
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computed for all atoms that are in both the group and the region. If
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the group is "all", then the only criteria for atom inclusion is that
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it be in the region.
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|
</P>
|
|
<P>Atom values take a single integer argument I from 1 to N, where I is
|
|
the an atom-ID, e.g. x[243], which means use the x coordinate of the
|
|
atom with ID = 243.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Atom vectors generate one value per atom, so that a reference like
|
|
"vx" means the x-component of each atom's velocity will be used when
|
|
evaluating the variable. Note that other atom attributes can be used
|
|
as inputs to a variable by using the <A HREF = "compute_property_atom.html">compute
|
|
property/atom</A> command and then specifying
|
|
a quantity from that compute.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Compute references access quantities calculated by a
|
|
<A HREF = "compute.html">compute</A>. The ID in the reference should be replaced by
|
|
the ID of a compute defined elsewhere in the input script. As
|
|
discussed in the doc page for the <A HREF = "compute.html">compute</A> command,
|
|
computes can produce global, per-atom, or local values. Only global
|
|
and per-atom values can be used in a variable. Computes can also
|
|
produce a scalar, vector, or array. An equal-style variable can use
|
|
scalar values, which means a scalar itself, or an element of a vector
|
|
or array. Atom-style variables can use either scalar or vector
|
|
values. A vector value can be a vector itself, or a column of an
|
|
array. See the doc pages for individual computes to see what kind of
|
|
values they produce.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Examples of different kinds of compute references are as follows.
|
|
There is no ambiguity as to what a reference means, since computes
|
|
only produce global or per-atom quantities, never both.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<DIV ALIGN=center><TABLE BORDER=1 >
|
|
<TR><TD >c_ID</TD><TD > global scalar, or per-atom vector</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD >c_ID[I]</TD><TD > Ith element of global vector, or atom I's value in per-atom vector, or Ith column from per-atom array</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD >c_ID[I][J]</TD><TD > I,J element of global array, or atom I's Jth value in per-atom array
|
|
</TD></TR></TABLE></DIV>
|
|
|
|
<P>If a variable containing a compute is evaluated
|
|
directly in an input script (not during a run), then the values
|
|
accessed by the compute must be current. See the discussion below
|
|
about "Variable Accuracy".
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Fix references access quantities calculated by a <A HREF = "compute.html">fix</A>.
|
|
The ID in the reference should be replaced by the ID of a fix defined
|
|
elsewhere in the input script. As discussed in the doc page for the
|
|
<A HREF = "fix.html">fix</A> command, fixes can produce global, per-atom, or local
|
|
values. Only global and per-atom values can be used in a variable.
|
|
Fixes can also produce a scalar, vector, or array. An equal-style
|
|
variable can use scalar values, which means a scalar itself, or an
|
|
element of a vector or array. Atom-style variables can use either
|
|
scalar or vector values. A vector value can be a vector itself, or a
|
|
column of an array. See the doc pages for individual fixes to see
|
|
what kind of values they produce.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>The different kinds of fix references are exactly the same as the
|
|
compute references listed in the above table, where "c_" is replaced
|
|
by "f_".
|
|
</P>
|
|
<DIV ALIGN=center><TABLE BORDER=1 >
|
|
<TR><TD >f_ID</TD><TD > global scalar, or per-atom vector</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD >f_ID[I]</TD><TD > Ith element of global vector, or atom I's value in per-atom vector, or Ith column from per-atom array</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD >f_ID[I][J]</TD><TD > I,J element of global array, or atom I's Jth value in per-atom array
|
|
</TD></TR></TABLE></DIV>
|
|
|
|
<P>If a variable containing a fix is evaluated directly in an input
|
|
script (not during a run), then the values accessed by the fix should
|
|
be current. See the discussion below about "Variable Accuracy".
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Note that some fixes only generate quantities on certain timesteps.
|
|
If a variable attempts to access the fix on non-allowed timesteps, an
|
|
error is generated. For example, the <A HREF = "fix_ave_time.html">fix ave/time</A>
|
|
command may only generate averaged quantities every 100 steps. See
|
|
the doc pages for individual fix commands for details.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Variable references access quantities calulated by other variables,
|
|
which will cause those variables to be evaluated. The name in the
|
|
reference should be replaced by the name of a variable defined
|
|
elsewhere in the input script. As discussed on this doc page,
|
|
atom-style variables generate a per-atom vector of values; all other
|
|
variable styles generate a single scalar value. An equal-style
|
|
variable can use scalar values produce by another variable, but not
|
|
per-atom vectors. Atom-style variables can use either scalar or
|
|
per-atom vector values.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Examples of different kinds of variable references are as follows.
|
|
There is no ambiguity as to what a reference means, since variables
|
|
only produce scalar or per-atom vectors, never both.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<DIV ALIGN=center><TABLE BORDER=1 >
|
|
<TR><TD >v_name</TD><TD > scalar, or per-atom vector</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD >v_name[I]</TD><TD > atom I's value in per-atom vector
|
|
</TD></TR></TABLE></DIV>
|
|
|
|
<P>IMPORTANT NOTE: If you define variables in circular manner like this:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>variable a equal v_b
|
|
variable b equal v_a
|
|
print $a
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>then LAMMPS may run for a while when the print statement is invoked!
|
|
</P>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
<P><B>Immediate Evaluation of Variables:</B>
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>There is a difference between referencing a variable with a leading $
|
|
sign (e.g. $x or ${abc}) versus with a leading "v_" (e.g. v_x or
|
|
v_abc). The former can be used in any command, including a variable
|
|
command, to force the immediate evaluation of the referenced variable
|
|
and the substitution of its value into the command. The latter is a
|
|
required kind of argument to some commands (e.g. the <A HREF = "fix_ave_spatial.html">fix
|
|
ave/spatial</A> or <A HREF = "dump.html">dump custom</A> or
|
|
<A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style</A> commands) if you wish it to evaluate
|
|
a variable periodically during a run. It can also be used in a
|
|
variable formula if you wish to reference a second variable. The
|
|
second variable will be evaluated whenever the first variable is
|
|
evaluated.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>As an example, suppose you use this command in your input script to
|
|
define the variable "v" as
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>variable v equal vol
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>before a run where the simulation box size changes. You might think
|
|
this will assign the initial volume to the variable "v". That is not
|
|
the case. Rather it assigns a formula which evaluates the volume
|
|
(using the thermo_style keyword "vol") to the variable "v". If you
|
|
use the variable "v" in some other command like <A HREF = "fix_ave_time.html">fix
|
|
ave/time</A> then the current volume of the box will be
|
|
evaluated continuously during the run.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>If you want to store the initial volume of the system, you can do it
|
|
this way:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>variable v equal vol
|
|
variable v0 equal $v
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>The second command will force "v" to be evaluated (yielding the
|
|
initial volume) and assign that value to the variable "v0". Thus the
|
|
command
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>thermo_style custom step v_v v_v0
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>would print out both the current and initial volume periodically
|
|
during the run.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Note that it is a mistake to enclose a variable formula in double
|
|
quotes if it contains variables preceeded by $ signs. For example,
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>variable vratio equal "${vfinal}/${v0}"
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>This is because the quotes prevent variable substitution (see <A HREF = "Section_commands.html#3_2">this
|
|
section</A> on parsing input script commands),
|
|
and thus an error will occur when the formula for "vratio" is
|
|
evaluated later.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
<P><B>Variable Accuracy:</B>
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Obviously, LAMMPS attempts to evaluate variables containing formulas
|
|
(<I>equal</I> and <I>atom</I> style variables) accurately whenever the
|
|
evaluation is performed. Depending on what is included in the
|
|
formula, this may require invoking a <A HREF = "compute.html">compute</A>, either
|
|
directly or indirectly via a thermo keyword, or accessing a value
|
|
previously calculated by a compute, or accessing a value calculated
|
|
and stored by a <A HREF = "fix.html">fix</A>. If the compute is one that calculates
|
|
the pressure or energy of the system, then these quantities need to be
|
|
tallied during the evaluation of the interatomic potentials (pair,
|
|
bond, etc) on timesteps that the variable will need the values.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>LAMMPS keeps track of all of this during a <A HREF = "run.html">run</A> or <A HREF = "minimize.html">energy
|
|
minimization</A>. An error will be generated if you
|
|
attempt to evaluate a variable on timesteps when it cannot produce
|
|
accurate values. For example, if a <A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style
|
|
custom</A> command prints a variable which accesses
|
|
values stored by a <A HREF = "fix_ave_time.html">fix ave/time</A> command and the
|
|
timesteps on which thermo output is generated are not multiples of the
|
|
averaging frequency used in the fix command, then an error will occur.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>An input script can also request variables be evaluated before or
|
|
after or in between runs, e.g. by including them in a
|
|
<A HREF = "print.html">print</A> command. In this case, if a compute is needed to
|
|
evaluate a variable (either directly or indirectly), LAMMPS will not
|
|
invoke the compute, but it will use a value previously calculated by
|
|
the compute, and can do this only if it is current. Fixes will always
|
|
provide a quantity needed by a variable, but the quantity may or may
|
|
not be current. This leads to one of three kinds of behavior:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>(1) The variable may be evaluated accurately. If it contains
|
|
references to a compute or fix, and these values were calculated on
|
|
the last timestep of a preceeding run, then they will be accessed and
|
|
used by the variable and the result will be accurate.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>(2) LAMMPS may not be able to evaluate the variable and generate an
|
|
error. For example, if the variable requires a quantity from a
|
|
<A HREF = "compute.html">compute</A> that is not current, LAMMPS will generate an
|
|
error. This means, for example, that such a variable cannot be
|
|
evaluated before the first run has occurred. Likewise, in between
|
|
runs, such a variable cannot be accessed unless it was evaluated on
|
|
the last timestep of the preceding run, e.g. by thermodynamic output.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>One way to get around this problem is to perform a 0-timestep run
|
|
before using the variable. For example, these commands
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>variable t equal temp
|
|
print "Initial temperature = $t"
|
|
run 1000
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>will generate an error if the run is the first run specified in the
|
|
input script, because generating a value for the "t" variable requires
|
|
a compute for calculating the temperature to be invoked.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>However, this sequence of commands would be fine:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>run 0
|
|
variable t equal temp
|
|
print "Initial temperature = $t"
|
|
run 1000
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>The 0-timestep run initializes and invokes various computes, including
|
|
the one for temperature, so that the value it stores is current and
|
|
can be accessed by the variable "t" after the run has completed. Note
|
|
that a 0-timestep run does not alter the state of the system, so it
|
|
does not change the input state for the 1000-timestep run that
|
|
follows. Also note that the 0-timestep run must actually use and
|
|
invoke the compute in question (e.g. via <A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo</A> or
|
|
<A HREF = "dump.html">dump</A> output) in order for it to enable the compute to be
|
|
used in a variable after the run. Thus if you are trying to print a
|
|
variable that uses a compute you have defined, you could insure it was
|
|
invoked on the last timestep of the preceding run by including it in
|
|
thermodynamic output.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Unlike computes, <A HREF = "fix.html">fixes</A> will never generate an error if
|
|
their values are accessed by a variable in between runs. They always
|
|
return some value to the variable. However, the value may not be what
|
|
you expect if the fix has not yet calculated the quantity of interest
|
|
or it is not current. For example, the <A HREF = "fix_indent.html">fix indent</A>
|
|
command stores the force on the indenter. But this is not computed
|
|
until a run is performed. Thus if a variable attempts to print this
|
|
value before the first run, zeroes will be output. Again, performing
|
|
a 0-timestep run before printing the variable has the desired effect.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>(3) The variable may be evaluated incorrectly. And LAMMPS may have
|
|
no way to detect this has occurred. Consider the following sequence
|
|
of commands:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>pair_coeff 1 1 1.0 1.0
|
|
run 1000
|
|
pair_coeff 1 1 1.5 1.0
|
|
variable e equal pe
|
|
print "Final potential energy = $e"
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>The first run is performed using one setting for the pairwise
|
|
potential defined by the <A HREF = "pair_style.html">pair_style</A> and
|
|
<A HREF = "pair_coeff.html">pair_coeff</A> commands. The potential energy is
|
|
evaluated on the final timestep and stored by the <A HREF = "compute_pe.html">compute
|
|
pe</A> compute (this is done by the
|
|
<A HREF = "thermo_style.html">thermo_style</A> command). Then a pair coefficient is
|
|
changed, altering the potential energy of the system. When the
|
|
potential energy is printed via the "e" variable, LAMMPS will use the
|
|
potential energy value stored by the <A HREF = "compute_pe.html">compute pe</A>
|
|
compute, thinking it is current. There are many other commands which
|
|
could alter the state of the system between runs, causing a variable
|
|
to evaluate incorrectly.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>The solution to this issue is the same as for case (2) above, namely
|
|
perform a 0-timestep run before the variable is evaluated to insure
|
|
the system is up-to-date. For example, this sequence of commands
|
|
would print a potential energy that reflected the changed pairwise
|
|
coefficient:
|
|
</P>
|
|
<PRE>pair_coeff 1 1 1.0 1.0
|
|
run 1000
|
|
pair_coeff 1 1 1.5 1.0
|
|
run 0
|
|
variable e equal pe
|
|
print "Final potential energy = $e"
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
<P><B>Restrictions:</B>
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>Indexing any formula element by global atom ID, such as an atom value,
|
|
requires the atom style to use a global mapping in order to look up
|
|
the vector indices. By default, only atom styles with molecular
|
|
information create global maps. The <A HREF = "atom_modify.html">atom_modify
|
|
map</A> command can override the default.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P>All <I>universe</I>- and <I>uloop</I>-style variables defined in an input script
|
|
must have the same number of values.
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P><B>Related commands:</B>
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P><A HREF = "next.html">next</A>, <A HREF = "jump.html">jump</A>, <A HREF = "include.html">include</A>,
|
|
<A HREF = "temper.html">temper</A>, <A HREF = "fix_print.html">fix print</A>, <A HREF = "print.html">print</A>
|
|
</P>
|
|
<P><B>Default:</B> none
|
|
</P>
|
|
</HTML>
|