A rational approach to the Prelle-Singer algorithm (Q1360962)

The Prelle-Singer procedure [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 279, 215-229 (1983; Zbl 0527.12016)] is a development of \textit{G. Darboux}'s method (1878) for finding elementary first integrals of a differential system \(\dot x = P(x,y)\), \(\dot y = Q(x,y)\) where \(P\) and \(Q\) are polynomials over \(\mathbb C\). When this procedure -- as presented by the first author [J. Symb. Comput. 16, 423-443 (1993; Zbl 0793.34002)] -- is applied to a differential system \(\dot x = P(x,y)\), \(\dot y = Q(x,y)\) where \(P\) and \(Q\) are polynomials over \(\mathbb Q \) there may appear algebraic numbers during the calculation which are not needed in the final result. In this paper the authors present a method which avoids algebraic extensions of \(\mathbb Q\) in this case and describe a partial implementation in REDUCE.