An adaptive characteristic Petrov-Galerkin finite element method for convection-dominated linear and nonlinear parabolic problems in one space variable (Q1081289)

The paper deals with a finite element solution of parabolic problems in one space variable. This is reduced to an analysis of an one-dimensional elliptic equation with small diffusion coefficient. Local test functions of the finite element scheme are used which are in fact the well-known L- splines [see, e.g., \textit{L. Schumaker}, Spline functions: basic theory. (1981; Zbl 0449.41004)]. Local a posteriori error estimates are given and numerical examples are presented.