Lie group classification of first-order delay ordinary differential equations

Abstract

A group classification of first-order delay ordinary differential equation (DODE) accompanied by an equation for delay parameter (delay relation) is presented. A subset of such systems (delay ordinary differential systems or DODSs) which consists of linear DODEs and solution independent delay relations have infinite-dimensional symmetry algebras, as do nonlinear ones that are linearizable by an invertible transformation of variables. Genuinely nonlinear DODSs have symmetry algebras of dimension $n$, $0 \leq n \leq 3$. It is shown how exact analytical solutions of invariant DODSs can be obtained using symmetry reduction.