Optimal error estimates for high order runge-kutta methods applied to evolutinary equations

Fully discrete approximations to 1-periodic solutions of the Generalized Korteweg de-Vries and the Cahn-Hilliard equations are analyzed. These approximations are generated by an Implicit Runge-Kutta method for the temporal discretization and a Galerkin Finite Element method for the spatial discretization. Furthermore, these approximations may be of arbitrarily high order. In particular, it is shown that the well-known order reduction phenomenon afflicting Implicit RungeKutta methods does not occur. Numerical results supporting these optimal error estimates for the Korteweg-de Vries equation and indicating the existence of a slow motion manifold for the Cahn-Hilliard equation are also provided.