  Painleve equations belong to the class y'' + a_1 {y'}^3 + 3 a_2 {y'}^2 + 3
a_3 y' + a_4 = 0, where a_i=a_i(x,y). This class of equations is invariant
under the general point transformation x=Phi(X,Y), y=Psi(X,Y) and it is
therefore very difficult to find out whether two equations in this class are
related. We describe R. Liouville's theory of invariants that can be used to
construct invariant characteristic expressions (syzygies), and in particular
present such a characterization for Painleve equations I-IV.
