Evolution equations

(See the introduction here)
The evolution of a dynamical system depending on a continuous time variable t is described by an equation of the form:

u˙=f(u).

Here, the dot denotes a time derivative, u(t)X is the state of the system at time t, and f is a given vector field on X. The space X is the state space of the system; a point in X specifies the instantaneous state of the system. We will assume that X is a Banach space. When X is finite dimensional, the evolution equation is a system of ODEs.

Infinite dimensional case

On the other hand, some PDEs can be regarded as evolution equations on an infinite dimensional state space X (see example in Classical Field Theory). The solution u(x,t) is an element of an specific function space F at each instant of time t, yielding a curve in F. In the finite dimensional case you can consider that the finite number of entries u1(t),u2(t),,un(t) is like a function of two variables, a continuous variable tR and a discrete one i=1,,n. Now, think that the index i in ui is substituted by x in u(x): we have an uncountable set of entries, and the derivatives of each of them needs to be related to the entries themselves. The problem in general would be intractable: how would we write infinite relations between u(1,t),u(2,t),u(3,t),u(8.23,t),?
But we can restrict to special cases of "relations" between the "components" u(x), or better said, special patterns: the derivatives of u respect to x. For example, ut=ux would play the role of an infinite collection of expressions analogous to ddtui=ui+1ui... See xournal_210.

So an evolution equation, in this context, is an expression

{ut=Q(x,u(n)),u(x,0)=f(x)

where xR, uR and u(n)=(u,ux,uxx,). This can be further generalized (@olver86 page 303).
The differential function Q can be seen as a kind of vector field on the space of functions F, whose flow is denoted by exp(tVQ):tu(,t)C. It is associated to the evolutionary vector field VQ in the following sense: given a differential function P([u]) then

prVQ(P)[f(x)]

measures the variation of P at f()C(U) in the direction of the flow tu(,t)C(U) created by Q. We could even write a kind of Lie series

P(exp(tVQ))=P[f]+tprVQ(P)[f]+t22(prVQ)2(P)[f]+

In particular if P is the identity, we have a formal solution to the evolution equation.

On the other hand, suppose that the evolutionary vector field VQ is a symmetry of an ODE Δ=0, that is,

prVQ(Δ)=0.

The differential function Δ can be though as a kind of first integral for the evolution equation. Indeed, if Δ is of order, let's say, 2, then we can think of it like 2 first integrals...
Pasted image 20230430083705.png
xournal_210

And I wonder, can any evolution equation be characterized by 2 second-order ODEs? It would be like an implicit expression of the PDE...

And another question: in the context above, is Δ a conservation law of

{ut=Q(x,u(n)),u(x,0)=f(x)

??