The aim of this paper is to extend the global error estimation and control
addressed in Lang and Verwer [SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 29, 2007] for initial value
problems to finite difference solutions of semilinear parabolic partial
differential equations. The approach presented there is combined with an
estimation of the PDE spatial truncation error by Richardson extrapolation to
estimate the overall error in the computed solution. Approximations of the
error transport equations for spatial and temporal global errors are derived by
using asymptotic estimates that neglect higher order error terms for
sufficiently small step sizes in space and time. Asymptotic control in a
discrete L2-norm is achieved through tolerance proportionality and uniform
or adaptive mesh refinement. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the
reliability of the estimation and control strategies