The sixth Painlevé equation as similarity reduction of \({\widehat{\mathfrak{gl}}_3}\) generalized Drinfel'd-Sokolov hierarchy (Q2385524)

Extending their earlier works on the derivation of the Painlevé IV equation from the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation and of the Painlevé V from the modified Yajima-Oikawa equation, the authors discuss the scaling symmetry of the \({\widehat{\mathfrak{gl}}_n}\)-type Drinfel'd-Sokolov hierarchy to obtain the Painlevé VI equation. By applying similarity reduction to the hierarchy and then considering the Laplace transformation of the linear equation that the associated Baker-Akhiezer functions should satisfy, they show that the Schlesinger equation with \((n+1)\) regular singular points can be obtained. In particular, in the case of \(n=3\) the hierarchy contains the three-wave resonant system and its similarity reduction gives the Painlevé VI equation with generic four parameters. This result can thus be regarded as a generalization of the precedent works by Fokas-Yortsos and Kitaev, who discussed respectively the derivation of one- and two-parameter family of Painlevé VI transcendents by considering self-similar solutions of the three-wave resonant system. The Weyl group symmetry of the hierarchy and its similarity solution is also investigated in the paper.