Error estimates for a Galerkin method for a class of model equations for long waves

The Galerkin method, together with a second order time discretization, is applied to the periodic initial value problem for $$\frac{\partial }{{\partial t}}(u - (a(x)u_x )_x ) + (f(x,u))_x = 0$$ . Heref(x, ·) may be highly nonlinear, but a certain cancellation effect is assumed for∫f(x, u) _x u. Optimal order error estimates inL ₂,H ₁, andL _∞ are derived for a general class of piecewise polynomial spaces.