Valuations and Differential Galois Groups

Valuations and Differential Galois Groups Synopsis

In this paper, valuation theory is used to analyse infinitesimal behaviour of solutions of linear differential equations. For any Picard-Vessiot extension $(F / K, \partial)$ with differential Galois group $G$, the author looks at the valuations of $F$ which are left invariant by $G$. The main reason for this is the following: If a given invariant valuation $\nu$ measures infinitesimal behaviour of functions belonging to $F$, then two conjugate elements of $F$ will share the same infinitesimal behaviour with respect to $\nu$. This memoir is divided into seven sections.