A posteriori estimates for partial differential equations (Q931225)

This is an excellent textbook for a priori estimation for various mathematical problems described by partial differential equations. It can cover a number of numerical methods including the finite element method, although (or rather since) the employed methodology is in principle independent of specific approximation methods. It begins with the introductory chapter for some mathematical backgrounds in functional-analytical expression. Then it is followed by a concise overview of various a posteriori error estimation methods developed in the last century. The subsequent main chapters of the book are devoted to a new functional approach to a posteriori error control developed in the last decade. The main idea of this approach is as follows: an integral identity that defines a generalized solution is a source of guaranteed and computable error bounds between this solution and any function in the associated energy space. Those bounds can be derived by purely functional-analytic methods without relying on specific features of approximations or numerical methods. The basic ideas of this approach are presented by means of a simple elliptic problem in Chapter 3, and the following chapters are devoted to various important classes of problems, e.g., diffusion, linear elasticity, incompressible viscous fluids, nonlinear problems described with variational inequalities, evolutional problems. The text requires a moderate background in functional analysis and the theory of partial differential equations. It will be particularly useful for experts in computational mathematics, and also for students specializing in applied mathematics.