Effective descent for differential operators

Abstract

A theorem of N. Katz \cite{Ka} p.45, states that an irreducible differential operator $L$ over a suitable differential field $k$, which has an isotypical decomposition over the algebraic closure of $k$, is a tensor product $L=M{\otimes }_{k}N$ of an absolutely irreducible operator $M$ over $k$ and an irreducible operator $N$ over $k$ having a finite differential Galois group. Using the existence of the tensor decomposition $L=M\otimes N$, an algorithm is given in \cite{C-W}, which computes an absolutely irreducible factor $F$ of $L$ over a finite extension of $k$. Here, an algorithmic approach to finding $M$ and $N$ is given, based on the knowledge of $F$. This involves a subtle descent problem for differential operators which can be solved for explicit differential fields $k$ which are $C_1$-fields.

21 pages