On invariant line arrangements (Q2250049)

The authors study the set of projective line arrangements that are invariant under a polynomial differential equation of degree four. They trace the origin of their problem to a paper by Darboux where he explained a new method for determining integrals of polynomial differential equations [\textit{G. Darboux}, Darboux Bull. (2) II, 60--96 (1878); II, 123--144, 151--200 (1878; JFM 10.0214.01)]. This method made use of algebraic curves that are invariant under the differential equation. Based upon Darboux's classification, the authors define a line arrangement to be a Darboux arrangement of order \(n\) if it satisfies three properties: (1) no line in the arrangement contains more than \(n+1\) vertices, (2) at most \(n+1\) lines of the arrangement go through the same vertex and (3) the arrangement has \(O(n^2)\) vertices. Llibre and Vulpe showed that there are only two Darboux arrangements of order 3 that are invariant under a differential equation of degree three [\textit{J. Llibre} and \textit{N. Vulpe}, Rocky Mt. J. Math. 36, No. 4, 1301--1373 (2006; Zbl 1139.34035)]. While Llibre and Vulpe make use of the differential equation in their classification, Canaan and Coutinho proceed differently. First, the Darboux arrangements of order 4 are classified into three distinct categories geometrically based on the number of sets of parallel lines. Next, the authors use a computer program to further subdivide these categories based on the number of vertices, multiplicity of the vertices and the arrangement of these vertices. Thus, the set of Darboux arrangements of order 4 is divided into 21 distinct types. Finally, the authors determine for 17 types the explicit differential equations for which the arrangements are invariant under a polynomial differential equation of degree four. They also show for the other four types that they are not invariant under any real differential equation of degree four.