Internal, external, and generalized symmetries (Q1261136)

Interrelations between the various symmetry concepts for differential equations are studied. An \(n\)th order differential equation is viewed as a submanifold \(\mathcal R\) of the \(n\)th order jet space \(J^ n E\). External symmetries are defined as contact transformations of \(J^ n E\) leaving the subvariety \(\mathcal R\) invariant. Internal symmetries are defined as transformations of \(\mathcal R\) preserving the restricted contact ideal. By generalized symmetries, higher order infinitesimal symmetries are meant. All infinitesimal symmetries are considered modulo trivial symmetries (total derivatives). Main questions of interest are whether internal symmetries extend to external symmetries, whether generalized symmetries restrict to internal symmetries (i.e., to \(\mathcal R\)), and whether the Bäcklund theorem extends to internal symmetries (by Bäcklund theorem, external symmetries are reducible to first order contact transformations when the fibre dimension of \(E\) equals 1 and to point transformations otherwise). Numerous results, for various classes of ordinary and partial differential equations, are given in terms of what authors call contact conditions and the descent property. Proofs are mainly presented as coordinate computations on \(\mathcal R\). As a model equation the underdetermined Hilbert-Cartan equation \(v' = (u'')^ 2\) is considered, and its first order infinitesimal symmetry algebra is shown to be the real form of the exceptional Lie algebra \(G_ 2\).