 Solution

The complete Butcher tableau in the PDF suppliesThese are the two Gauss nodes and the corresponding Gauss--Legendre Runge-Kutta method. We can verify its order directly rather than infer it from its name. Write $e=(1,1{)}^T$, $C=\mathrm{diag}(c)$ and let powers of $c$ be componentwise. The Butcher order conditions through order four areFor these coefficients $Ae=c$, $Ac=c^2/2$ and $c^2=c-e/6$. Also $b^T{c}^j=1/(j+1)$ for $j=0,1,2,3$, as follows by averaging the two values $1/2\pm s$. These identities give all eight displayed Butcher order conditions; for example $b^{T}CAc=b^T{c}^3/2=1/8$, $b^{T}A{c}^2=b^T(c^2/2-c/6)=1/12$, and $b^T{A}^{2}c=b^{T}A{c}^2/2=1/24$. They establish order at least four for smooth nonlinear ordinary differential equations.

To exclude order five, apply the method to the Dahlquist test equation. Solving its stage equations gives the stability functionThe exact solution has coefficient $1/120$ at degree five. Hence the method has order exactly four; its one-step defect is $O(h^5)$.