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Multimode solutions of first-order elliptic quasilinear systems obtained from Riemann invariants

Two new approaches to solving first-order quasilinear elliptic systems of PDEs in many dimensions are proposed. The first method is based on an analysis of multimode solutions expressible in terms of Riemann invariants, based on links between two techniques, that of the symmetry reduction method and of the generalized method of characteristics. A variant of the conditional symmetry method for constructing this type of solution is proposed. A specific feature of that approach is an algebraic-geometric point of view, which allows the introduction of specific first-order side conditions consistent with the original system of PDEs, leading to a generalization of the Riemann invariant method for solving elliptic homogeneous systems of PDEs. A further generalization of the Riemann invariants method to the case of inhomogeneous systems, based on the introduction of specific rotation matrices, enables us to weaken the integrability condition. It allows us to establish a connection between the structure of the set of integral elements and the possibility of constructing specific classes of simple mode solutions. These theoretical considerations are illustrated by the examples of an ideal plastic flow in its elliptic region and a system describing a nonlinear interaction of waves and particles. Several new classes of solutions are obtained in explicit form, including the general integral for the latter system of equations.