# 1. Introduction and Goals

_bice_ (Bifurcation Continuation Engine) is a Python package for numerical path continuation and bifurcation analysis.

## 1.1 Requirements Overview

- Support for numerical continuation of solutions to nonlinear algebraic equations.
- Extensibility for different types of discretizations (e.g., Finite Differences, Pseudospectral).
- Integration with standard scientific Python libraries (NumPy, SciPy).

## 1.2 Quality Goals

- **Correctness**: Numerical results must be accurate.
- **Ease of Use**: Simple API for users coming from scientific backgrounds.
- **Maintainability**: Clear separation between core logic, solvers, and discretizations.

## 1.3 Stakeholders

- Scientific researchers in physics, biology, and chemistry.
- Students in computational science.