Error of Runge-Kutta methods for stiff problems studied via differential algebraic equations

Runge-Kutta methods are studied when applied to stiff differential equations containing a small stiffness parameter . The coefficients in the expansion of the global error in powers of are the global errors of the Runge-Kutta method applied to a differential algebraic system. A study of these errors and of the remainder of the expansion yields sharp error bounds for the stiff problem. Numerical experiments confirm the results.