"Symmetries and Closed Form Solutions of Differential Equations"

                           Fritz Schwarz, GMD
                          fritz.schwarz@gmd.de


Until now the symmetry analysis of differential equations is the most powerful
algorithmic method for studying closed form solutions of nonlinear 
differential equations. Because of the large amount of analytical 
computations which is usually involved in its application, it has almost 
completely been discarded for about a century after its establishment.
This situation has changed dramatically with the advent of computer algebra.
In the last decade the combination of these two fields has created a 
tremendous amount of activity

This session is devoted to all aspects involved in dealing with the
symmetries of differential equations and their applications, including the
algorithmic and computational aspects. A partial list of
topics which are of particular interest is as follows.
  
  -- Determining various kinds of symmetry groups of ordinary and
     partial differential equations, e.g. Lie- or point symmetries,
     contact symmetries, higher or generalized symmetries, infinite
     symmetry groups.

  -- Applications of symmetries for finding closed form solutions of
     ordinary and partial differential equations, e.g. similarity reductions
     of partial differential equations.
       
  -- Algorithms for determining, analysing and applying symmetry groups
     of differential equations, Groebner base calculations.

  -- Demos of computer algebra software devoted to this field. If there
     is sufficient interest, a special demo session is contemplated.


Preliminary list of people to be invited to give a talk

Bill Ames 		Clara Nucci
Barbara Shrauner 	Peter Olver
George Bluman 		Willy Hereman
Nail Ibragimov 		Sukeyuki Kumei
Peter Vafedes 		Thomas Wolf
Wolfgang Lassner 	Peter Clarkson
Elisabeth Mansfield 	Greg Reid
Steve Coggeshall 	Peter Leach