New integrability case for the Riccati equation

A new integrability condition of the Riccati equation dy/dx = a(x) + b(x)y + c(x)y(2) is presented. By introducing an auxiliary equation depending on a generating function f(x), the general solution of the Riccati equation can be obtained if the coefficients a(x), b(x), c(x), and the function f(x) satisfy a particular constraint. The validity and reliability of the method are tested by obtaining the general solutions of some Riccati type differential equations. Some applications of the integrability conditions for the case of the damped harmonic oscillator with time dependent frequency, and for solitonic wave, are briefly discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.