Autonomous self-similar ordinary differential equations and the Painlevé connection (Q864718)

This paper deals with nonlinear higher-order ordinary differential equations possessing two symmetries: autonomy \(\Gamma_1 \, = \, \partial_t\) and self-similarity \(\Gamma_2 = -t \partial_t + x \partial_x\). The main goal of this paper is to exhibit the intimate connection between these equations and the leading-order behavior and resonances determined in the application of the Painlevé test. The best way to demonstrate this connection is by a careful analysis of several paradigmatic examples. This analysis is exhaustively fulfilled by this reviewed work. Moreover, first-order systems of differential equations are shown to exhibit a similar behavior. The first step of the procedure to show this connection is to compute the parameters of the singularity analysis. To this end, general formulae for its determination are developed. After that, an important key consists in applying first a transformation (a Riccati transformation) which increases the order of the considered equation and then reduce it by means of a different transformation based upon the invariance of the higher order equation under time translation. It is shown that the parameters of the singularity analysis appear within a pattern in the coefficients of the resulting equation. The modified Painlevé-Ince equation \(\ddot{x} +a x \dot{x} + b x^3 = 0,\) is the first considered example. Quoting the reviewed paper we include a little summary of its analysis for the sake of completeness. The parameters of the singularity analysis correspond to the leading order term and the non-generic resonance. The leading order term is \(\alpha \tau^{-1}\), whose exponent is \(-1\) by construction and whose coefficient must satisfy \(2-a\alpha+b\alpha^2=0\). The non generic resonance is given by \(r=4-a\alpha\). The Riccati transformation \(x=\alpha\dot{w}/w\), which uses the coefficient of the leading-order term as parameter, leads to a third-order equation. Its order can be reduced by the standard transformation \(u=\log w\) and \(v=\dot{w}^2\) giving the linearized form of the modified Painlevé-Ince equation \(v''-rv'=0\), which contains the value of the non generic resonance. Several other specific examples are analyzed. A third-order member of the Riccati hierarchy \( y''' + 4yy''+ 3 y'{}^2 + 6y^2y'+y^4 = 0\), which is integrable, and two nonlinear higher-order equations \(x''' + a x x'' + b (x')^2 + c x^2 x' + d x^4= 0\) and \(x''' + x x'' + (x')^2 = 0\), which are not integrable in general, are also transformed following the same pattern. To end with, the Lotka-Volterra \(ABC\) system: \[ \dot{x} = x\, (Cy+z), \quad \dot{y} = y (Az+x), \quad \dot{z}= z(Bx+y), \] is also taken under consideration. After some overwhelming computations and following the same procedure, it can also be transformed to a linear equation, within several conditions.