Symmetries of second-order PDEs and conformal Killing vectors

Abstract: We study the Lie point symmetries of a general class of partial differential equations (PDE) of second order. An equation from this class naturally defines a second-order symmetric tensor (metric). In the case the PDE is linear on the first derivatives we show that the Lie point symmetries are given by the conformal algebra of the metric modulo a constraint involving the linear part of the PDE. Important elements in this class are the Klein--Gordon equation and the Laplace equation. We apply the general results and determine the Lie point symmetries of these equations in various general classes of Riemannian spaces. Finally we study the type II\ hidden symmetries of the wave equation in a Riemannian space with a Lorenzian metric.