Symmetry and integration methods for differential equations

George W. Bluman, Stephen C. Anco9780387986548, 0-387-98654-5

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of symmetry methods and dimensional analysis. The authors discuss aspects of Lie groups of point transformations, contact symmetries, and higher order symmetries that are essential for solving differential equations. Emphasis is given to an algorithmic, computational approach to finding integrating factors and first integrals. Numerous examples including ordinary differential equations arising in applied mathematics are used for illustration and exercise sets are included throughout the text. This book is designed for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students of mathematics and physics, as well as researchers in mathematics, physics, and engineering.