Differential invariant method for seeking nonlocally related systems and nonlocal symmetries. II: Connections with the conservation law method

Abstract

In this paper, we show direct connections between the conservation law (CL)-based method and the differential invariant (DI)-based method for obtaining nonlocally related systems and nonlocal symmetries for a given partial differential equation (PDE) system. For a PDE system with two independent variables, we show that the CL method is a special case for the DI method. For a PDE system with at least three independent variables, we show that the CL method, for a curl-type CL, is a special case for the DI method. We also consider the situation for a self-adjoint, i.e. variational, linear PDE system. Here, a solution of the linear PDE system yields a nonlocally related system for both approaches. In particular, the resulting nonlocally related systems need not be invertibly equivalent. Through an example, we show that three distinct nonlocally related systems can be obtained from an admitted point symmetry.