Commuting ordinary differential operators and the Dixmier test (Q2297952)

The Burchnall-Chaundy problem [\textit{J. L. Burchnall} and \textit{T. W. Chaundy}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 21, 420--440 (1923; JFM 49.0311.03)] is classical in differential algebra, seeking to describe all commutative subalgebras of a ring of ordinary differential operators whose coefficients are functions in a given class. It received less attention when posed in the (first) Weyl algebra, namely for polynomial coefficients, while the classification of commutative subalgebras of the Weyl algebra is in itself an important open problem. Centralizers are maximal-commutative subalgebras, and the authors review the properties of a basis of the centralizer of an operator \(L\) in normal form, following the approach of \textit{K. R. Goodearl} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 13, 573--618 (1983; Zbl 0532.16002)], with the ultimate goal of obtaining such bases by computational routines. The first step is to establish the Dixmier test, based on a lemma by \textit{J. Dixmier} [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 96, 209--242 (1968; Zbl 0165.04901)] and the choice of a suitable filtration, to give necessary conditions for an operator \(M\) to be in the centralizer of \(L\). Whenever the centralizer equals the algebra generated by \(L\) and \(M\), the authors call \(L\), \(M\) a Burchnall-Chaundy (BC) pair. A construction of BC pairs is presented for operators of order \(4\) in the first Weyl algebra. Moreover, for true rank \(r\) pairs, by means of differential subresultants, they effectively compute the fiber of the rank \(r\) spectral sheaf over their spectral curve. This paper is organized as follows: Section 1 is an introduction to the subject. Section 2 deals with the preliminaries regarding centralizers for ODOs and true rank. Section 3 and 4 deal with GCD at each point of the spectral curve and centralizers and BC pairs. In the remaining parts of this paper the authors consider differential operators in the first Weyl algebra \(\mathbb{A}_1(\mathbb{C})\). Section 5 deals with gradings in \(\mathbb{A}_1(\mathbb{C})\) and the Dixmier test. The authors define an appropriate filtration of \(\mathbb{A}_1(\mathbb{C})\) to use a lemma by Dixmier that they call the Dixmier test. Section 6 deals with order \(4\) operators in \(\mathbb{A}_1(\mathbb{C})\). In this section the authors apply the previous results to operators of order \(4\) in \(\mathbb{A}_1(\mathbb{C})\). They prove that for any operator of order \(4\), if non trivial, its centralizer is the ring of a plane curve.