Solutions of the second and fourth Painlevé equations, I

Abstract

A rigorous proof of the irreducibility of the second and fourth Painlevé equations is given by applying Umemura's theory on algebraic differential equations ([26], [27], [28]) to the two equations. The proof consists of two parts: to determine a necessary condition for the parameters of the existence of principal ideals invariant under the Hamiltonian vector field; to determine the principal invariant ideals for a parameter where the principal invariant ideals exist. Our method is released from complicated calculation, and applicable to the proof of the irreducibility of the third, fifth and sixth equation (e.g. [32]).