Nonclassical symmetry reduction and Riemann wave solutions (Q1917999)

The authors consider systems of first-order partial differential equations of the form \(\sum_{j,\mu} \Delta_j^{s\mu} u^j_{,\mu} =0\), \(s=1, \dots, r\), where \(u^j_{,\mu}\) are partial derivatives \(\partial u^j/\partial x^\mu\), and symbols \(\Delta_j^{s\mu}\) denote given functions on \(U\), \(U\) being a differentiable manifold carrying coordinates \(u^1,\dots,u^q\). Multiplicity \(k\) Riemann waves are solutions of the system satisfying additionally \(u^j_{,\mu}=\sum_A h_A \gamma^j_A \lambda^A_\mu\), \(A= 1, \dots, k\), for some functions \(h_A\) on \(J^1 (U)\) and \(\gamma^j_A\), \(\lambda^A_\mu\) on \(U\), such that the ``wave relation'' \(\sum_{j,\mu} \Delta_j^{s\mu} \gamma^j_A \lambda^A_\mu =0\) holds. The authors first note that Riemann waves cannot be obtained by the classical symmetry reduction method since the symmetry algebra is too small. Then they present three theorems to guarantee that the system admits the ``conditional symmetries'' of rank \(k=1, 2\) and show that the corresponding invariant solutions (those of the ``nonclassical reduction method'') coincide with the single and double Riemann waves. Three physically relevant examples are discussed in the last section.