In this work we derive a posteriori error estimates based on equations residuals for the heat equation with discontinuous diffusivity coefficients. The estimates are based on a fully discrete scheme based on conforming finite elements in each time slab and on the A-stable $\theta$-scheme with $1/2\le \theta \le 1$. Following remarks of [Picasso, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 167 (1998) 223–237; Verfürth, Calcolo 40 (2003) 195–212] it is easy to identify a time-discretization error-estimator and a space-discretization...

In this work we derive a posteriori error estimates based on equations residuals for the heat equation with discontinuous diffusivity coefficients. The estimates are based on a fully discrete scheme based on conforming finite elements in each time slab and on the A-stable θ-scheme with 1/2 ≤ θ ≤ 1. Following remarks of [Picasso, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 167 (1998) 223–237; Verfürth, Calcolo40 (2003) 195–212] it is easy to identify a time-discretization error-estimator and a space-discretization...