Given an operad P with a finite Groebner basis of relations, we study the
generating functions for the dimensions of its graded components P(n). Under
moderate assumptions on the relations we prove that the exponential generating
function for the sequence {dim P(n)} is differential algebraic, and in fact
algebraic if P is a symmetrization of a non-symmetric operad. If, in addition,
the growth of the dimensions of P(n) is bounded by an exponent of n (or a
polynomial of n, in the non-symmetric case) then, moreover, the ordinary
generating function for the above sequence {dim P(n)} is rational. We give a
number of examples of calculations and discuss conjectures about the above
generating functions for more general classes of operads.Comment: Minor changes; references to recent articles by Berele and by Belov,
Bokut, Rowen, and Yu are adde