Multi-product splitting and Runge-Kutta-Nystrom integrators

Abstract

The splitting of $\e^{h(A+B)}$ into a single product of $\e^{h A}$ and $\e^{hB}$ results in symplectic integrators when $A$ and $B$ are classical Lie operators. However, at high orders, a single product splitting, with exponentially growing number of operators, is very difficult to derive. This work shows that, if the splitting is generalized to a sum of products, then a simple choice of the basis product reduces the problem to that of extrapolation, with analytically known coefficients and only quadratically growing number of operators. When a multi-product splitting is applied to classical Hamiltonian systems, the resulting algorithm is no longer symplectic but is of the Runge-Kutta-Nystr\"om (RKN) type. Multi-product splitting, in conjunction with a special force-reduction process,explains why at orders $p=4$ and 6, RKN integrators only need $p-1$ force evaluations.