A Review of Unified a Posteriori Finite Element Error Control

Abstract

This paper aims at a general guideline to obtain a posteriori error estimates for the finite element error control in computational partial differential equations. In the abstract setting of mixed formulations, a generalised formulation of the corresponding residuals is proposed which then allows for the unified estimation of the respective dual norms. Notably, this can be done with an approach which is applicable in the same way to conforming, nonconforming and mixed discretisations. Subsequently, the unified approach is applied to various model problems. In particular, we consider the Laplace, Stokes, Navier-Lamé, and the semi-discrete eddy current equations.