A Riemann-Hilbert approach to the Heun equation (Q1792497)

In this article, the authors are interested in the general Heun equation, that is a second order linear ODE with four distinct Fuchsian singularities depending on six arbitrary complex parameter [\textit{K. Heun}, Math. Ann. 33, 161--179 (1889; JFM 20.0419.02)]. They first describe its close connection between the linear system for the sixth Painlevé equation \(P_{VI}\); then, they formulate its Riemann-Hilbert problem in terms of the associated one to \(P_{VI}\). Doing that, they show how, in the case of reducible monodromy, the Riemann-Hilbert formalism can be used to construct explicit polynomial solutions for the Heun equation. The results of the paper are of interest since the general Heun equation together with its confluent and transformed counterparts (Mathieu equation, spheroidal wave equation, ...) are fundamental in many domains like quantum and high energy physics, general relativity, astrophysic, \dots [\textit{F. M. Arscott} and \textit{A. Darai}, IMA J. Appl. Math. 27, 33--70 (1981; Zbl 0471.35023)], [\textit{M. Hortaçsu}, in: Mathematical physics. Proceedings of the 13th regional conference, Antalya, Turkey, October 27--31, 2010. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific. 23--39 (2013; Zbl 1285.34076)], [\textit{D. Schmidt} and \textit{G. Wolf}, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 10, 823--838 (1979; Zbl 0411.35005)], [\textit{S. Yu. Slavyanov} and \textit{W. Lay}, Special functions. A unified theory based on singularities. With a foreword by Alfred Seeger. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2000; Zbl 1064.33006)].