The non-symmetric operad pre-Lie is free (Q2267428)

The \(\mathbf k\)-modules spanned by rooted trees on \(n\) vertices, numbered from \(1\) to \(n\), define the components \(\mathcal{PL}(n)\), \(n\in\mathbb N\), of the pre-Lie operad \(\mathcal{PL}\). Fix \(i\in\{1,\dots,m\}\). For rooted trees \(S\in\mathcal{PL}(m)\) and \(T\in\mathcal{PL}(n)\), we consider the sum of all insertions of~\(T\) at the \(i\)th vertex of~\(S\). This construction returns an element \(S\circ_i T\in\mathcal{PL}(m+n-1)\), naturally associated to~\((S,T)\). The collection of all operations \(\circ_i: \mathcal{PL}(m)\otimes\mathcal{PL}(n)\rightarrow\mathcal{PL}(m+n-1)\), defines the composition structure of the pre-Lie operad. The authors prove that the pre-Lie operad is free with respect to this composition structure. The argument line of the authors involves ideas considered in the operadic version of Gröbner basis theory [\textit{V. Dotsenko} and \textit{A. Khoroshkin}, Duke Math. J. 153, No.~2, 363--396 (2010; Zbl 1208.18007)], and anticipates, in a nice particular case, some applications of operadic Gröbner basis which have been developed further by \textit{V. Dotsenko} [Séminaires et Congrès 26, 61--76 (2011)].