Normal forms for ordinary differential operators, I

In this paper we develop the generalised Schur theory offered in the recent paper by the second author in dimension one case, and apply it to obtain two applications in different directions of algebra/algebraic geometry. The first application is a new explicit parametrisation of torsion free rank one sheaves on projective irreducible curves with vanishing cohomology groups. The second application is a commutativity criterion for operators in the Weyl algebra or, more generally, in the ring of ordinary differential operators, which we prove in the case when operators have a normal form with the restriction top line (for details see Introduction). Both applications are obtained with the help of normal forms. Namely, considering the ring of ordinary differential operators D₁=K[x] as a subring of a certain complete non-commutative ring D₁^sym, the normal forms of differential operators mentioned here are obtained after conjugation by some invertible operator ("Schur operator"), calculated using one of the operators in a ring. Normal forms of commuting operators are polynomials with constant coefficients in the differentiation, integration and shift operators, which have a finite order in each variable, and can be effectively calculated for any given commuting operators.