Taylor expansion of noncommutative power series with an application to the Hausdorff series (Q4803563)

Let \(A=K\langle x_1,\dots,x_n\rangle\) be the free associative algebra over a field \(K\) and let \(\widehat A=K\langle \langle x_1,\dots,x_n\rangle \rangle\) be the completion of \(A\) with respect to the formal power series topology; \(\widehat A\) is the algebra of formal power series in \(n\) noncommuting variables, also called Magnus algebra. The author considers the subalgebra \(A_0\) of \(A\) generated by the iterated commutators \([x_{k_1},[x_{k_2},\dots,[x_{k_{r-1}},x_{k_r}]\cdots]]\) and its closure \(\widehat A_0\) in \(\widehat A\). In the case of characteristic 0 the algebra \(A_0\) coincides with the intersection of the kernels of the formal partial derivatives \(\partial/\partial x_i\). The algebra \(A_0\) is isomorphic to a free associative algebra freely generated by an explicitly given system of commutators. It is a free right (as well as a left) \(A_0\)-module with basis \(\{x_1^{\nu_1}\cdots x_n^{\nu_n},\;\nu_i\geq 0\}\) and a skew-polynomial algebra in \(n\) variables over \(A_0\). One of the results of the paper gives a Taylor series for the elements of \(\widehat A\) with coefficients from \(\widehat A_0\), i.e. \[ \widehat A\ni f=\sum a_\nu x_1^{\nu_1}\cdots x_n^{\nu_n},\quad a_\nu\in\widehat A_0. \] Then the author considers the factor algebra of \(A\) modulo the relations \([f_1,f_2]=0\) for all commutators \(f_1,f_2\in A_0\). (This algebra is isomorphic to the universal enveloping algebra of the free metabelian (\(=\) solvable of class 2) Lie algebra with \(n\) generators.) Again, the author obtains Taylor expansions for the elements of the completion \(\overline A\). This time the coefficients are commutative formal power series (in \(\overline A_0=\widehat A_0/I_0\), where \(I_0\) is the closed ideal of \(\widehat A_0\) generated by all \([f_1,f_2]\), \(f_1,f_2\in A_0\)), although the coefficients do not belong to the centre of \(\overline A\). From the point of view of the reviewer, the most important results in this interesting paper concern the Hausdorff series \(H\in\widehat A\) (\(A=K\langle x_1,x_2\rangle\), \(\text{char }K=0\)) defined by the rule \(e^H=e^{x_1}\cdot e^{x_2}\). It is well known that \(H=x_1+x_2+H_0\), where \(H_0\) is a formal power series with homogeneous components which are Lie elements. There has been a considerable amount of work in order to make the known expansions of \(H_0\) explicit. In the present paper the author uses various techniques (including meromorphic functions) and obtains quite an explicit expression for \(H_0\) modulo the defining relations of \(\overline A_0\). In other words, he evaluates the Hausdorff series in the completion of the free metabelian Lie algebra with two generators. The author also obtains interesting relations between the expression of \(H_0\) in \(\overline A_0\) and Bernoulli numbers.