On the geometry of lambda-symmetries and PDE reduction

We give a geometrical characterization of λ-prolongations of vector fields, and hence of λ-symmetries of ODEs. This allows an extension to the case of PDEs and systems of PDEs; in this context the central object is a horizontal one-form μ, and we speak of μ-prolongations of vector fields and μ-symmetries of PDEs. We show that these are as good as standard symmetries in providing symmetry reduction of PDEs and systems, and explicit invariant solutions.