Conformal invariance and conserved quantity of third-order Lagrange equations for non-conserved mechanical systems

This paper studies conformal invariance and conserved quantity of third-order Lagrange equations for non-conserved mechanical systems. Third-order Lagrange equations, the definition and a determining equation of conformal invariance of the system are presented. The conformal factor expression is deduced from conformal invariance and Lie symmetry. The necessary and sufficient condition that conformal invariance of the system would have Lie symmetry under single-parameter infinitesimal transformations is obtained. The corresponding conserved quantity of conformal invariance is derived with the aid of a structure equation. Lastly, an example is given to illustrate the application of the results.