Grothendieck's conjecture for the Risch equation \(y'=ay+b\) (Q5947110)

Let \(L\) be a linear homogeneous differential operator over \(Q(x)\). Then for almost all prime numbers \(p\) it is possible to associate to the operator \(L\) the operator \(L_{p}\) over a field \(F_{p}(x)\), obtained by reducing the coefficients of \(L\) modulo \(p\). Grothendieck's conjecture asserts, if almost all such \(L_{p}\) have a fundamental system of solutions in \(F_{p}(x)\), then there is a fundamental system of solutions of \(L\) in \(\overline{Q(x)}\). In this paper the author expands this conjecture to a case of an inhomogeneous equation of the first order and investigates it in detail. A brief review of recent results on the given problem is also given. Let us notice that if one assumes that all exponents in singular points of \(L\) are integers, then there is a fundamental system of decisions \(L\) in \(Q(x)\). The proof of such a slightly weakened version of the conjecture is also, in the opinion of the reviewer, of significant interest.