A polynomial time algorithm for finding rational general solutions of first order autonomous ODEs (Q2457360)

This paper is concerned with the existence and practical computation of rational solutions of first order autonomous algebraic ordinary differential equations {ODEs}: \( F( y'(x), y(x))= 0 \). In section 2 the authors give necessary and sufficient conditions for an algebraic ODE to have a rational general solution of type \( y(x) = ( a_n x^n + a_{n-1} x^{n-1} + \ldots + a_0)/( b_m x^m + b_{m-1} x^{m-1} + \dots + b_0).\) In section 3, by considering the variable \(y\) and its derivative \( y' = y_1\) as independent variables, the ODE defines an algebraic plane curve and studying the proper parametrizations of it the authors derive an exact degree bound for its rational solutions. Next, in section 4 a polynomial time algorithm for computing the first \(2 n+1\) terms of the Laurent series solution to a first order autonomous ODE is given. These results together with Padé approximants are finally used to give a polynomial time algorithm for finding a rational general solution for a first order autonomous ODE. This algorithm is implemented in Maple and the results of some numerical experiments are given.