Lie Point Symmetries and Commuting Flows for Equations on Lattices

Different symmetry formalisms for difference equations on lattices are reviewed and applied to perform symmetry reduction for both linear and nonlinear partial difference equations. Both Lie point symmetries and generalized symmetries are considered and applied to the discrete heat equation and to the integrable discrete time Toda lattice

Lie Symmetries and Exact Solutions of First Order Difference Schemes

We show that any first order ordinary differential equation with a known Lie point symmetry group can be discretized into a difference scheme with the same symmetry group. In general, the lattices are not regular ones, but must be adapted to the symmetries considered. The invariant difference schemes can be so chosen that their solutions coincide exactly with those of the original differential equation.Comment: Minor changes and journal-re

Lie point symmetries of differential--difference equations

We present an algorithm for determining the Lie point symmetries of differential equations on fixed non transforming lattices, i.e. equations involving both continuous and discrete independent variables. The symmetries of a specific integrable discretization of the Krichever-Novikov equation, the Toda lattice and Toda field theory are presented as examples of the general method.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figur

Contact transformations for difference schemes

We define a class of transformations of the dependent and independent variables in an ordinary difference scheme. The transformations leave the solution set of the system invariant and reduces to a group of contact transformations in the continuous limit. We use a simple example to show that the class is not empty and that such "contact transformations for discrete systems" genuinely exist

Difference schemes with point symmetries and their numerical tests

Symmetry preserving difference schemes approximating second and third order ordinary differential equations are presented. They have the same three or four-dimensional symmetry groups as the original differential equations. The new difference schemes are tested as numerical methods. The obtained numerical solutions are shown to be much more accurate than those obtained by standard methods without an increase in cost. For an example involving a solution with a singularity in the integration region the symmetry preserving scheme, contrary to standard ones, provides solutions valid beyond the singular point.Comment: 26 pages 7 figure

Lie point symmetries of difference equations and lattices

A method is presented for finding the Lie point symmetry transformations acting simultaneously on difference equations and lattices, while leaving the solution set of the corresponding difference scheme invariant. The method is applied to several examples. The found symmetry groups are used to obtain particular solutions of differential-difference equations

Solutions to the Optical Cascading Equations

Group theoretical methods are used to study the equations describing \chi^{(2)}:\chi^{(2)} cascading. The equations are shown not to be integrable by inverse scattering techniques. On the other hand, these equations do share some of the nice properties of soliton equations. Large families of explicit analytical solutions are obtained in terms of elliptic functions. In special cases, these periodic solutions reduce to localized ones, i.e., solitary waves. All previously known explicit solutions are recovered, and many additional ones are obtainedComment: 21 page

Continuous Symmetries of Difference Equations

Lie group theory was originally created more than 100 years ago as a tool for solving ordinary and partial differential equations. In this article we review the results of a much more recent program: the use of Lie groups to study difference equations. We show that the mismatch between continuous symmetries and discrete equations can be resolved in at least two manners. One is to use generalized symmetries acting on solutions of difference equations, but leaving the lattice invariant. The other is to restrict to point symmetries, but to allow them to also transform the lattice.Comment: Review articl

Superintegrable Systems with a Third Order Integrals of Motion

Two-dimensional superintegrable systems with one third order and one lower order integral of motion are reviewed. The fact that Hamiltonian systems with higher order integrals of motion are not the same in classical and quantum mechanics is stressed. New results on the use of classical and quantum third order integrals are presented in Section 5 and 6.Comment: To appear in J. Phys A: Mathematical and Theoretical (SPE QTS5