Darboux integrability in more than two dimensions

DOI10.1007/S002000000052MaRDI QIDQ5941633zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors David Hartley

Publication date 20 August 2001

Published in Applicable Algebra in Engineering, Communication and Computing (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s002000000052

zbMATH Keywords

exterior differential systemsinvariantssemi-integrability

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Second-order hyperbolic equations (35L10) First-order hyperbolic systems (35L40) Exterior differential systems (Cartan theory) (58A15) Pfaffian systems (58A17)

Review text

The method of Darboux is a classical technique for solving a hyperbolic second-order PDE for one function of two variables, but is also applicable to first-order systems for two functions of two variables [see \textit{R. Bryant, P. Griffiths} and \textit{L. Hsu}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 1, 21-112 (1995; Zbl 0853.58102)]. The success of the method depends on finding two functionally independent invariants in each characteristic system. If these exist, then arbitrary functional relations between each pair of invariants may be imposed, and the equation(s) solved by ODE techniques. If two invariants exist for just one characteristic system, then the equation is called semi-integrable (see Bryant et al, loc. cit.), and it is still possible to solve Cauchy problems by ODE techniques similar to the method of characteristics for first-order PDE. In this paper, Hartley generalizes semi-integrability to equations in three independent variables. This generalization is a recasting, in the modern language of exterior differential systems, of work of \textit{D. H. Parsons} [The extension of Darboux's method, Mem. Sci. Math. 142 (1960; Zbl 0119.07901)]. It applies only to equations whose symbol matrix is degenerate, and is discussed here only for symbol matrices of rank two. It appears that four invariants (in just one of the characteristic systems) are required for semi-integrability. For any solution, two functional relationships will hold among these invariants. It is not clear that these relationships can be imposed arbitrarily, as in the classical case. Although one rather special example is worked out in detail, it is also not clear how these relationships are related to Cauchy data in general. The paper includes a good, concise introduction to the theory of exterior differential systems and Pfaffian systems.

Recommendations

• Exterior differential systems
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4109667
• Superposition formulas for exterior differential systems
• Exterior differential systems for higher order partial differential equations
• Involution analysis for nonlinear exterior differential systems
• Vessiot connections of partial differential equations
• Sur l'intégration des équations aux dérivées partielles.
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3883228
• The inverse problem in the calculus of variations: new developments
• Alternatives to the Cartan-Kähler theorem

Cited in

(11)

• Equivalence of the Darboux and Gardner methods for integrating hyperbolic equations in the plane
• Darboux-Jouanolou integrability over arbitrary fields
• Darboux theory of integrability in the sparse case
• On Darboux integrability
• Darboux integrable hyperbolic PDE in the plane of generic type: a classification by means of Cartan tensor and Maple 11^
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3981561 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 17977 (Why is no real title available?)
• Characteristic invariants and Darboux's method
• Characteristic integrals in 3D and linear degeneracy
• Darboux integrability for diagonal systems of hydrodynamic type
• Darboux integrability of hyperbolic partial differential equations: is it a property of integrals rather than equations?

This page was built for publication: Darboux integrability in more than two dimensions

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q5941633)