Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2003 / iii / Paper 8 / 4 / Solution

The Painlevé property says that the general solution has no movable critical singularities: analytic continuation around a singularity whose location depends on the initial data must not create a different branch. A fixed singularity of a complex differential equation has its location prescribed by the coefficients; a movable singularity of a complex differential equation has a location which varies with the initial data. A commonly used stronger form requires movable singularities to be poles, so that the solution is locally a meromorphic function there. Movable branch points are excluded; a movable pole is permitted. We will prove the stronger form for this equation by finding its complete general solution family as rational functions.

Use the linearization of a Riccati equation. If $w^{\prime }=a{w}^2+bw+c$, put $w=-v^{\prime }/(av)$ wherever $a,v\ne 0$. Differentiating this expression and cancelling the quadratic terms yieldsConversely a nonzero solution $v$ of this linear ordinary differential equation gives a solution $w$, wherever the quotient is defined. Every local finite solution $w$ at an ordinary point arises this way: solve $v^{\prime }=-awv$ with a nonzero initial value and differentiate to get the second-order equation. Multiplying $v$ by a nonzero constant leaves $w$ unchanged, giving the one effective constant of integration expected for a first-order Riccati equation.

For the present coefficients, $a^{\prime }/a=1/z+1/(z+1)$, so the linear ordinary differential equation simplifies toTwo direct substitutions give solutions $v_1=z-1$ and $v_2=1/(z+1)$. Their Wronskian iswhich is nonzero at every ordinary point $z\notin \{0,-1\}$. They therefore form a fundamental pair there, and all local solutions have the formTaking its logarithmic derivative givesThus, for $C_1\ne 0$, writing $k=(C_2-C_1)/C_1$, the general family isThe remaining member, corresponding to $C_1=0$, isThe completeness of the linearizing pair proves that no other local solution is omitted. These are rational functions, single-valued meromorphic functions; hence their continuation has no branch points. Their only possible moving singularities are zeros of $z^2+k$. A root $z_0$ outside $\{0,-1\}$ is simple, and its residue isEquivalently, poles of a Riccati solution from zeros of its linearizing solution are simple at ordinary points, because a nontrivial solution of a linear ordinary differential equation cannot have both $v(z_0)=0$ and $v^{\prime }(z_0)=0$. The exceptional collisions $k=0$ or $k=-1$ occur at the fixed coefficient singularities, and still give rational functions. Consequently every movable singularity is a pole, establishing the Painlevé property in its stronger meromorphic sense.