Nonlocal transformations of Kolmogorov equations into the backward heat equation

We extend and solve the classical Kolmogorov problem of finding general classes of Kolmogorov equations that can be transformed to the backward heat equation. These new classes include Kolmogorov equations with time-independent and time-dependent coefficients. Our main idea is to include nonlocal transformations. We describe a step-by-step algorithm for determining such transformations. We also show how all previously known results arise as particular cases in this wider framework. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.