Runge-Kutta methods adapted to manifolds and based on rigid frames (Q1283253)

This paper is concerned with the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations on manifolds by means of Runge-Kutta type methods. The approach is related to the papers of \textit{P. E. Crouch} and \textit{R. Grossman} [J. Nonlinear Sci. 3, No. 1, 1-33 (1993; Zbl 0798.34012)] and \textit{H. Munthe-Kaas} [BIT 38, No. 1, 92-111 (1998; Zbl 0904.65077)]. After a short introduction of the main concepts of differential geometry for the problem under consideration, the authors present a theory of ordered rooted trees associated with the elementary differentials which appear both in the Lie series of the exact solution and in the numerical solution. With these tools a set of sufficient conditions on the coefficients of the method are derived. Here in contrast with the case of Runge-Kutta methods for systems of ordinary differential systems in the real frame the conditions on the coefficients are not all independent and the authors give an approach to reduce them to a minimal set. Turning to the practical implementation of these methods, it is shown that the derivation of explicit fourth order method requires at least five stages and the authors present a family of fourth order methods with five stages. Further the coefficients of other semiexplicit methods are given. Finally the special case of differential equations on Lie groups is considered and in particular some numerical methods are applied to a spinning top, i.e. the motion of a rigid body around a fixed point under external forces. In the numerical experiments presented here the new methods show clearly the preservation of orthogonality of the rotation matrix of the top and also the predicted behaviour of the global error.