Invariant algebraic surfaces of the FitzHugh-Nagumo system (Q2287209)

The authors consider three-dimensional systems of the form $\dot{x}=z=P(x,y,z)$, $\dot{y}=b(x-dy)=Q(x,y,z)$, $\dot{z}=x(x-1)(x-a)+y+cz=R(x,y,z)$. A Darboux polynomial $f$ for such a system is defined by the condition $(\partial f/\partial x)P+(\partial f/\partial y)Q+(\partial f/\partial z)R=kf$, where $k(x,y,z)$ is called a cofactor of $f$. The authors characterize all irreducible Darboux polynomials and polynomial first integrals of the FitzHugh-Nagumo system by the characteristic curves method which involves the theory of weight-homogeneous polynomials. Although used to give a complete classification of Darboux polynomials of some systems, this method fails for the FitzHugh-Nagumo system, so to classify the latter's invariant algebraic surfaces an ``assistant'' system is introduced.