Inverse problems in Darboux' theory of integrability (Q384066)

This paper provides a compilation of several works of the authors on the domain of the Darboux' theory of integrability together with a new result, see [(2002; Zbl 1012.34035)]; [(2007; Zbl 1144.34003)]; [(2009; Zbl 1170.34012)]; [(2011; Zbl 1214.34014)] and references therein. The main topics dealing with this theory are surveyed in this paper together with many illustrative examples. We quote the manuscript for the following definitions. Given a planar polynomial vector field \[ X \, = \, P \frac{\partial}{\partial x} + Q \frac{\partial}{\partial y}, \] \(f_1, \ldots, f_r\) pairwise relatively prime polynomials and \(d_1, \ldots, d_r\) nonzero complex constants, one says that \(f_1^{-d_1} \cdots f_r^{-d_r}\) is a \textit{Darboux integrating factor} of \(X\) if \(\text{div} \, (f_1^{-d_1} \cdots f_r^{-d_r} \, X) \, = \, 0\). Each \(f_i\) is a \textit{semi-invariant} of \(X\), that is, there exists a polynomial \(L_i\) such that \(X f_i \, = \, L_i \cdot f_i\). The knowledge of semi-invariants and Darboux integrating factors for a given vector field \(X\) is related with the integrability problem, Lie symmetries, differential algebra, and so on. The first section is an introduction of the paper. The second section deals with direct problems, that is, given a planar polynomial vector field \(X\) to find all its semi-invariants and to decide whether it has a Darboux integrating factor. The third and fourth sections are about inverse problems, that is, given a set \(f_1, \ldots, f_r\) of pairwise relatively prime polynomials to characterize all the polynomial vector fields with admit them as semi-invariants and to characterize all the polynomial vector fields with a Darboux integrating factor formed by them. Note that in most of the results the geometric nondegeneracy condition is assumed. In this last fourth section a new result is stated and proved: given a prescribed integrating factor, a general finiteness result on the dimension of the space of vector fields which admit it is given. This new result holds for a general geometric scenario.