:orphan:
# PetscScalar
PETSc type that represents either a double precision real number, a double precision complex number, a single precision real number, a __float128 real or complex or a __fp16 real - if the code is configured with `--with-scalar-type`=real,complex `--with-precision`=single,double,__float128,__fp16 


## Note
For MPI calls that require datatypes, use `MPIU_SCALAR` as the datatype for `PetscScalar` and `MPIU_SUM`, etc for operations. They will automatically work correctly regardless of the size of `PetscScalar`.


## See Also
 `PetscReal`, `PetscComplex`, `PetscInt`, `MPIU_REAL`, `MPIU_SCALAR`, `MPIU_COMPLEX`, `MPIU_INT`, `PetscRealPart()`, `PetscImaginaryPart()`

## Level
beginner

## Location
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/include/petscsystypes.h.html#PetscScalar">include/petscsystypes.h</A>

## Examples
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/dt/dualspace/impls/lagrange/tutorials/ex2.c.html">src/dm/dt/dualspace/impls/lagrange/tutorials/ex2.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/field/tutorials/ex1.c.html">src/dm/field/tutorials/ex1.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/plex/tutorials/ex14.c.html">src/dm/impls/plex/tutorials/ex14.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/plex/tutorials/ex3f90.F90.html">src/dm/impls/plex/tutorials/ex3f90.F90</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/stag/tutorials/ex4.c.html">src/dm/impls/stag/tutorials/ex4.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/stag/tutorials/ex8.c.html">src/dm/impls/stag/tutorials/ex8.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/swarm/tutorials/ex1f90.F90.html">src/dm/impls/swarm/tutorials/ex1f90.F90</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/tutorials/ex11f90.F90.html">src/dm/tutorials/ex11f90.F90</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/tutorials/ex15.c.html">src/dm/tutorials/ex15.c</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex13f90.F90.html">src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex13f90.F90</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex14f.F90.html">src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex14f.F90</A><BR>


---
[Edit on GitLab](https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc/-/edit/release/include/petscsystypes.h)


[Index of all Sys routines](index.md)  
[Table of Contents for all manual pages](/manualpages/index.md)  
[Index of all manual pages](/manualpages/singleindex.md)