Rational solutions of Abel differential equations (Q2154408)

The paper under review is concerned with the maximum number of rational solutions of the polynomial Abel differential equation \[ x'(t)=A(t)x^3+B(t)x^2, \] where \(A(t),B(t)\) are polynomials. The existence of its rational solutions is equivalent to seeking the Darboux polynomial (invariant curves) of degree one in \(x\). The main results are two fold. Firstly, they show that if the degree\((A)\) is even and \(2\mathrm{degree}(B)>\mathrm{degree}(A)-1\), then the Abel equation has at most two rational solutions; otherwise, the number of rational solutions has an upper bound \[ \left(\begin{array}{c} n \\ (n+1) / 2 \end{array}\right)+1. \] Secondly, combing with the Darboux integrability theory, they prove that the Abel equation has a first integral of Darboux type if there exits more than \((\mathrm {degree}(A) + 1)/2\) rational solutions. A similar work about rational solutions of trigonometric polynomial Abel differential equations was studied in [\textit{C. Valls}, J. Geom. Phys. 180, Article ID 104627, 9 p. (2022; Zbl 07577545)].