Why B-series, rooted trees, and free algebras? - 2

"We regard Butcher’s work on the classification of numerical integration methods as an impressive example that concrete problem-oriented work can lead to far-reaching conceptual results”. This quote by Alain Connes summarises nicely the mathematical depth and scope of the theory of Butcher's B-series. The aim of this joined lecture is to answer the question posed in the title by drawing a line from B-series to those far-reaching conceptional results they originated. Unfolding the precise mathematical picture underlying B-series requires a combination of different perspectives and tools from geometry (connections); analysis (generalisations of Taylor expansions), algebra (pre-/post-Lie and Hopf algebras) and combinatorics (free algebras on rooted trees). This summarises also the scope of these lectures.   In the first lecture we will outline the geometric foundations of B-series, and their cousins Lie-Butcher series. The latter is adapted to studying differential equations on manifolds. The theory of connections and parallel transport will be explained. In the second and third lectures we discuss the algebraic and combinatorial structures arising from the study of invariant connections. Rooted trees play a particular role here as they provide optimal index sets for the terms in Taylor series and generalisations thereof. The final lecture will discuss various applications of the theory in the numerical analysis of integration schemes.