Rothe time-discretization method for a nonlocal problem arising in thermoelasticity (Q2387492)

One space dimension parabolic diffusion problem with integral boundary conditions of the form \[ \begin{aligned} {\partial v \over \partial t} -{\partial^2 v \over \partial x^2} = f(x,t), &\quad (x,t) \in (0,1)\times(0,T],\\ v(x,0)=V_0(x), &\quad 0\leq x\leq 1,\\ \int_0^1 v(x,t) \,dx = E(t), &\quad 0 \leq t \leq T,\\ \int_0^1 xv(x,t) \,dx = G(t), &\quad 0 \leq t \leq T \end{aligned} \] is proposed. Here \(f, V_0, E\) and \(G\) are sufficiently regular given functions and \(T\) is a positive constant. This mathematical model describes the quasi-static flexure of a thermoelastic rod, where integral boundary conditions represents the average and weighted average of the entropy \(v\). An approximation solution via the Rothe method is investigated. First, the question of existence and uniqueness of such numerical solution \(u_j(x)\) for every time step \(t_j\) is proved with the help of existence of a unique solution of associated second order linear differential equations with appropriate Dirichlet boundary conditions. Then a priori estimates for the approximations are obtained and finally convergence to the weak solution and error estimate in the norm of the space \(C([0,T],B^1_2(0,1))\), is derived. \(B^1_2(0,1)\) is a nonclassical function space introduced by Bouziani, and it is \(C_0(0,1)\) of a real continuous functions with compact support in \((0,1)\) with respect to the inner product \[ (u,v)_{B^1_2(0,1)} = \int_0^1 \mathcal{J}_x u \cdot \mathcal{J}_x v \,dx, \] where \(\mathcal{J}_x v = \int _0^x v(\psi)\,d\psi\).