Butcher order condition

A Butcher order condition equates the coefficient assigned by a Runge-Kutta method to a rooted tree with the corresponding exact Taylor coefficient. Satisfying every condition through tree order $p$ is equivalent to Runge–Kutta order at least $p$.

For a general nonautonomous Runge-Kutta method, Taylor expansion of stage $i$ gives $k_i=f+h[c_i{f}_t+(Ae{)}_i{f}_{y}f]+O(h^2)$. Matching the exact increment $hf+h^2(f_t+f_{y}f)/2$ gives the three displayed conditions. When internal consistency $c=Ae$ is imposed, the last two coincide. Internal consistency is a usual tableau convention, but is not logically necessary for order two of a generalized tableau.

With $c=Ae$ and $C=\mathrm{diag}(c)$, a Runge-Kutta method has order at least four exactly when the eight Butcher order conditionshold; powers of $c$ are componentwise. These conditions match the numerical and exact coefficients indexed by rooted trees through order four. Matching the scalar Dahlquist test equation alone is insufficient to check the nonlinear Butcher order conditions.