Coverings of differential equations and Cartan's structure theory of Lie pseudo-groups (Q2464060)

The author establishes relations between Maurer-Cartan forms for pseudo-groups of contact symmetries for the differential equations of second order with one dependent variable and coverings which are notions of nonlocal symmetry of differential equations. The author shows that for the Liouville equation \(u_{xy}=e^u\), the Khokhlov-Zbolotskaya equation \( u_{zz}=u_{xy}+uu_{yy}+u^2_{y}\) and the Boyer-Finley equation \(u_{xy}=(e^u)_{zz}\), their covering equations can be deduced from Wahlquist-Estabrook forms which appear as invariant combinations of Maurer-Cartan forms of their symmetry pseudo-groups.