diff --git a/src/serac/numerics/equation_solver.cpp b/src/serac/numerics/equation_solver.cpp
index 5b6053a87..bf214c999 100644
--- a/src/serac/numerics/equation_solver.cpp
+++ b/src/serac/numerics/equation_solver.cpp
@@ -18,13 +18,17 @@
 
 namespace serac {
 
+/// @brief A simple exception class for recording Newton and TrustRegion failures
 class SolveException : public std::exception {
 public:
+  /// constructor
   SolveException(const std::string& message) : msg(message) {}
 
+  /// what is message
   const char* what() const noexcept override { return msg.c_str(); }
 
 private:
+  /// message string
   std::string msg;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/serac/physics/solid_mechanics.hpp b/src/serac/physics/solid_mechanics.hpp
index f161b3c9e..03ed0598c 100644
--- a/src/serac/physics/solid_mechanics.hpp
+++ b/src/serac/physics/solid_mechanics.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 namespace serac {
 
+/// @brief simple utility for computing matrix norm
 inline double matrixNorm(std::unique_ptr<mfem::HypreParMatrix>& K)
 {
   mfem::HypreParMatrix* H      = K.get();