Reduction of order for systems of ordinary differential equations (Q4458474)

This article is devoted to the reduction of ODE systems using solvable symmetry algebras. The result is given by the following theorem: If a first-order linear homogeneous PDE with \(n\) variables \(A(f)= 0\) admits a solvable symmetry algebra \(L_{n-1}\) for which the generators and the differential operator \(A\) are unconnected, then the integration of the equation reduces to quadratures. As a corollary there is given an analogous statement for a system of \(n\) \(k\)th-order ODEs \[ x^{(k)}_i= f_i(t, x,\dots, x^{(k-1)}),\qquad i= 1,\dots, n, \] which admits a \((k\cdot n)\)-dimensional solvable symmetry algebra \(L_{k\cdot n}\), where this system is described by an equivalent linear homogeneous first-order PDE. Some examples of systems of two second-order ODEs for two functions are given.