The B₂ index of galled trees

In recent years, there has been an effort to extend the classical notion of phylogenetic balance, originally defined in the context of trees, to networks. One of the most natural ways to do this is with the so-called $B_2$ index. In this paper, we study the $B_2$ index for a prominent class of phylogenetic networks: galled trees. We show that the $B_2$ index of a uniform leaf-labeled galled tree converges in distribution as the network becomes large. We characterize the corresponding limiting distribution, and provide a way to compute its moments. This is the first time that a balance index has been studied to this level of detail for a random phylogenetic network. One specificity of this work is that we use two different and independent approaches, each with its advantages: analytic combinatorics, and local limits. The analytic combinatorics approach is more direct, as it relies on standard tools; but it involves slightly more complex calculations. Because it has not previously been used to study such questions, the local limit approach requires developing an extensive framework beforehand; however, this framework is interesting in itself and can be used to tackle other similar problems.