Space-time finite elements and an adaptive strategy for the coupled thermoelasticity problem

A space–time nite element method for the linear thermo-elasticity problem is outlined. By establishing the appropriate dual problem in space–time, it is possible to establish an exact a posteriori error representation formula based on residuals and the dual solution. In particular, we focus on the error generation in time. An adaptive strategy in the time-domain is proposed, and its performance is investigated with the aid of a numerical example in 2D. In particular, the excellent precision of the error estimate, in terms of the e ectivity index being close to unity, is noted