Complete symmetry group and nonlocal symmetries for some two-dimensional evolution equations

The complete symmetry group of an 1+1 evolution equation of maximal symmetry has been demonstrated to be represented by the six-dimensional Lie algebra of point symmetries sl(2,R)s_⊕W, where W is the three-dimensional Heisenberg-Weyl algebra. We construct a complete symmetry group of a 1+2 evolution equation ut=(Fy(u)ux) for some functions F using the point symmetries admitted by the equation. The 1+2 equation is not completely specifiable by point symmetries alone for some specific functions F. We make use of Ansätze already reported by Myeni and Leach S.M. Myeni, P.G.L. Leach, Nonlocal symmetries and complete symmetry groups of evolution equations, J. Nonlinear Math. Phys. 13 (2006) 377-392] which provide a route to the determination of the required generic nonlocal symmetries necessary to supplement the point symmetries for the complete specification of these 1+2 evolution equations. Further we find that taking some suitable linear combination of Lie point symmetries helps to optimise the procedure of specifying the equation. A general result concerning the number of symmetries required to form a complete symmetry group of evolution is presented in the Conclusion.