The HEP Software Ecosystem

Particle physics relies on an expansive ecosystem of software tools to accomplish all aspects of the work needed to deliver physics results. These range from tools required for the acquisition and handling of data in experiments, to pattern recognition and feature extraction (both in real time and in offline processing), to sophisticated analysis techniques. These are complemented by tools for simulation of both the underlying physics and the interactions of particles in detectors, as well as tools to support data and workflow management. Further software tools support the larger information system for particle physics needed to interpret and combine results across the global scientific community.

Components of this ecosystem have their own software lifecycle, though tools may live and evolve for decades, encapsulating significant intellectual effort and products from the HEP community with substantial physics impact. This talk will review the global HEP software ecosystem and discuss how it is used in running experiments today, as well as how planned experiments are already building on, and contributing to, the foundation provided by the ecosystem to deliver scientific progress in particle physics in the coming decade and beyond.