Tree algebras over topological vector spaces in rough path theory

Abstract: We work with non-planar rooted trees which have a label set given by an arbitrary vector space $V$. By equipping $V$ with a complete locally convex topology, we show how a natural topology is induced on the tree algebra over $V$. In this context, we introduce the Grossman-Larson and Connes-Kreimer topological Hopf algebras over $V$, and prove that they form a dual pair in a certain sense. As an application we define the class of branched rough paths over a general Banach space, and propose a new definition of a solution to a rough differential equation (RDE) driven by one of these branched rough paths. We show equivalence of our definition with a Davie-Friz-Victoir-type definition, a version of which is widely used for RDEs with geometric drivers, and we comment on applications to RDEs with manifold-valued solutions.