  We present an extensive theoretical investigation of the proximity effects
that occur in Ferromagnet/Superconductor ($F/S$) systems. We use a numerical
method to solve self consistently the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations in the
continuum. We obtain the pair amplitude and the local density of states (DOS),
and use these results to extract the relevant lengths characterizing the
leakage of superconductivity into the magnet and to study spin splitting into
the superconductor. These phenomena are investigated as a function of
parameters such as temperature, magnet polarization, interfacial scattering,
sample size and Fermi wavevector mismatch, all of which turn out to have
important influence on the results. These comprehensive results should help
characterize and analyze future data and are shown to be in agreement with
existing experiments.
