Discrete Faà di Bruno duality

The iterated forward difference \(\Delta\) E0004 of a composite \(f \circ g\) expands as a sum over coverings \(\Cov(k)\) of the direction set. Its Möbius dual is the Taylor composition, summed over \(\KP_+^2(k)\).

(1) Theorem. Let \(X, Y, Z\) be abelian groups, \(g: X \to Y\) and \(f: Y \to Z\) arbitrary maps, \(x \in X\), \(u_1, \dots, u_k \in X\). Write \(y = g(x)\) and \(z = f(y)\).

  • Boolean Faà di Bruno (\(k \geq 1\)):

    \[ \Delta(f \circ g; x; u_\bullet) = \sum_{H \in \Cov(k)} \Delta\bigl(f;\, y;\, (\Delta(g; x; u_T))_{T \in H}\bigr). \]
  • Boolean Taylor composition:

    \[ (f \circ g)(x + {\textstyle\sum_{i=1}^k} u_i) = z + \sum_{H \in \KP_+^2(k)} \Delta\bigl(f;\, y;\, (\Delta(g; x; u_T))_{T \in H}\bigr). \]

    All identities are exact with integer coefficients; no regularity is assumed on \(f\) or \(g\).

Proof. Write \(g_T := \Delta(g; x; u_T)\).

Ad 2) By Taylor duality E0005, \(T(g; x; u_S) = y + \sum_{\emptyset \neq T \subseteq S} g_T\). Applying Taylor duality to \(f\) at \(y\) in the directions \((g_T)_{T \in \KP_+(S)}\) gives

\[ T(f \circ g; x; u_S) = z + \sum_{H \in \KP_+^2(S)} \Delta(f; y; (g_T)_{T \in H}). \]

Ad 1) Define \(\varphi(S) := \sum_{H \in \Cov(S)} \Delta(f; y; (g_T)_{T \in H})\). By Möbius inversion E0002 it suffices to show \(\zeta(\varphi; S) = T(f \circ g; x; u_S) - z\): the \(\mu\)-transform of the right side is \(\Delta(f \circ g; x; u_S)\) for \(S \neq \emptyset\), the constant \(z\) cancelling by \((1-1)^{|S|} = 0\). Indeed,

\[ \zeta(\varphi; S) = \sum_{R \subseteq S} \sum_{H \in \Cov(R)} \Delta(f; y; (g_T)_{T \in H}) = \sum_{H \in \KP_+^2(S)} \Delta(f; y; (g_T)_{T \in H}), \]

since each \(H \in \KP_+^2(S)\) appears in exactly one summand, namely the one for \(R = \bigcup H\). Now apply Ad 2).


(2) Validation (AI review, 2026-07-19, claude-fable-5, pass). Proof logic, edge cases (\(k = 1\), \(k = 2\), \(g = \mathrm{id}\), additive \(f\)), combinatorial bijection \(\KP_+^2(S) = \bigsqcup_R \Cov(R)\), necessity of \(k \geq 1\). Made \(z\)-cancellation in the Möbius step explicit in the proof. No issues found.


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