Functional self-similarity and renormalization group symmetry in mathematical physics (Q5930845)

Results on boundary-value problems in mathematical physics obtained by applying the notions of functional self-similarity (FS) and renormalization group (RG) are reviewed. FS transformation is a synonym of the RG, transformation and defined as follows: Let \(T(\lambda):l\to l'= l-\lambda\), \(g\to g'= G(\lambda, g)\}\) be a RG transformation. Then taking exponential variables \(x= e^l\), \(a= e^\lambda\), \(\overline g(a,g)= G(\lambda, g)\), this transformation becomes \(T_a: \{x'= x/a\), \(g'=\overline g(a,g)\}\), which is called FS transformation [\textit{D. V. Shirkov}, Dokl. Akad. Nauk, SSSR, 263, 64 (1982)]. In Section 3, taking the equation \(u_t= f(t,u,b^k)\), \(u(\tau)= x\), \(b^k\), \(k= 1,2,\dots\) are parameters, as an example, FS analysis is explained. To do this, first one constructs the RG symmetry of this equation, the embedding equation \(u_\tau+ f(\tau, x,b^k)u_x= 0\) is added [cf. \textit{V. F. Kovalev}, \textit{V. V. Pustovalov} and \textit{D. V. Shirkov}, J. Math. Phys. 39, 1170-1188 (1998; Zbl 0906.22018)]. Analyzing the symmetry group and taking \(f= au^2+ bu^3+ cu^4\), a linear first-order equation \(tu^2- x^2\tau u_x- u_a= 0\) is derived by the FS condition, and we can solve the original problem. In Section 4, the FS conditions for the boundary value problems for the Burgers equations and nonlinear optic equations are given. There are ordinary differential equations in the first example, while they are partial differential equation, the Lie-Bäcklund RGS equation, in the second example. FS conditions in nonlinear plasma theory and nonlinear wave optics with small parameters are discussed in Section 5. The authors say using the FS conditions formulated in Secctions 4 and 5 on the base of the Lie-Bäcklund RGS, we were able not only to describe the structure of the known singular solutions but also to find new ones [cf. \textit{V. F. Shirkov} and \textit{D. V. Shirkov}, J. Nonlinear Opt. Phys. Matter, 6, 443 (1997), \textit{V. K. Kovalev}, Theor. Math. Phys. 111, 686-702 (1997; Zbl 0978.78500), \textit{V. F. Kovalev}, Theor. Math. Phys. 119, 719-730 (1999; Zbl 0995.78034)].