Theory of connections, Cole-Hopf transformations and potentials of second-order partial differential equations (Q941290)

Cole-Hopf mappings are a special case of Bäcklund mappings (in the sense of Pirani and Robinson) where the transformation equations do not depend on the new dependent variables. Their existence for a given differential equation corresponds to the existence of potentials for this equation. The author studies this special case for a scalar second-order partial differential equation in two independent and one dependent variables using the theory of connections. Based on the analysis of certain (principal) quotient bundles of the frame bundle over the jet bundle and associated bundles with a one-dimensional fibre, it is shown that Cole-Hopf mappings can exist only for quasi-linear equations or for equations of Monge-Ampère type. For some types of second-order equations both sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of Cole-Hopf mappings are derived.