Boundary blow-up for differential equations with indefinite weight

We obtain results of existence and multiplicity of solutions for the second-order equation x″+q(t)g(x)=0, with x(t) defined for all t∈]0,1[ and such that x(t)→+∞ as t→0⁺ and t→1⁻. We assume g having superlinear growth at infinity and q(t) possibly changing sign on [0,1].     

A nonoscillation theorem for superlinear Emden-Fowler equations with near-critical coefficients

We are interested in the oscillatory behavior of solutions of the Emden-Fowler equation y^″+a(x)|y|^γ−1y=0, γ>1, where a(x) is a positive continuous function on (0,∞). In the special case when the coefficient a(x) is a power of x, i.e. a(x)=xα for some constant α, the value α^∗=−(γ+3)/2 plays a critical role: The equation has both oscillatory and nonoscillatory solutions if α>α^∗, while all solutions are nonoscillatory if α<α^∗. When a(x) is close to the critical exponent, one of the known results is that if a(x)=x−(γ+3)/2log−σ(x), where σ>0, then all solutions are nonoscillatory. In this paper, this result is further extended to include a class of coefficients in which the above condition with log(x) can be replaced by loglog(x), or logloglog(x) and so on.     

On the oscillation of Hill's equations under periodic forcing

We use the Floquet theory of the Hill's equation to prove the conjecture that all solutions of the second order forced linear differential equation y^″+c(sint)y=cost, are oscillatory on [0,∞) for all c≠0.     

Oscillation of solutions of second-order nonlinear self-adjoint differential equations

We are concerned with the oscillation problem for the nonlinear self-adjoint differential equation (a(t)x′)′+b(t)g(x)=0. Here g(x) satisfied the signum condition xg(x)>0 if x≠0, but is not imposed such monotonicity as superlinear or sublinear. We show that certain growth conditions on g(x) play an essential role in a decision whether all nontrivial solutions are oscillatory or not. Our main theorems extend recent results in a serious of papers and are best possible for the oscillation of solutions in a sense. To accomplish our results, we use Sturm's comparison method and phase plane analysis of systems of Liénard type. We also explain an analogy between our results and an oscillation criterion of Kneser-Hille type for linear differential equations.     

Oscillation criteria and growth of nonoscillatory solutions of higher order differential equations

We look for conditions under which all solutions of the nonlinear ordinary differential equation y⁽ⁿ⁾ + f(t, y) = 0, t ? 0, ?∞ < y < ∞, are oscillatory, as well as consider the asymptotic behaviour of the nonoscillatory solutions.     

Note on forced oscillation of nth-order sublinear differential equations

In the case of oscillatory potentials, we establish an oscillation theorem for the forced sublinear differential equation x(n)+q(t)λ|x|sgnx=e(t), t∈[t₀,∞). No restriction is imposed on the forcing term e(t) to be the nth derivative of an oscillatory function. In particular, we show that all solutions of the equation x^″+tαsintλ|x|sgnx=mtβcost, t?0, 0<λ<1 are oscillatory for all m≠0 if β>(α+2)/(1−λ). This provides an analogue of a result of Nasr [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 126 (1998) 123] for the forced superlinear equation and answers a question raised in an earlier paper [J.S.W. Wong, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 19 (1988) 673].     

Periodic solutions for a nonautonomous ordinary differential equation

We consider the nonautonomous differential equation of second order x^″+a(t)x−b(t)x²+c(t)x³=0, where a(t),b(t),c(t) are T-periodic functions. This is a biomathematical model of an aneurysm in the circle of Willis. We prove the existence of at least two positive T-periodic solutions for this equation, using coincidence degree theories.     

Periodic solutions of a nonlinear second-order differential equation with deviating argument

With the help of the coincidence degree continuation theorem, the existence of periodic solutions of a nonlinear second-order differential equation with deviating argument

x^″(t)+f₁(x(t))x^′(t)+f₂(x(t))(x^′(t)⁾²+g(x(t−τ(t)))=0,     

On the behavior of the oscillatory solutions of first or second order delay differential equations

Some new results are given concerning the behavior of the oscillatory solutions of first or second order delay differential equations. These results establish that all oscillatory solutions x of a first or second order delay differential equation satisfy x(t)=O(v(t)) as t→∞, where v is a nonoscillatory solution of a corresponding first or second order linear delay differential equation. Some applications of the results obtained are also presented.     

Existence and uniqueness of periodic solutions for forced Rayleigh-type equations

In this paper, we use the coincidence degree theory to establish new results on the existence and uniqueness of T-periodic solutions for a kind of forced Rayleigh equation of the form

x^″+f(x^′(t))+g(t,x(t))=e(t).     

On oscillatory solutions of certain forced Emden-Fowler like equations

We give a constructive proof of existence to oscillatory solutions for the differential equations x^″(t)+a(t)λ|x(t)|sign[x(t)]=e(t), where t?t₀?1 and λ>1, that decay to 0 when t→+∞ as O(t−μ) for μ>0 as close as desired to the “critical quantity” . For this class of equations, we have limt→+∞E(t)=0, where E(t)<0 and E^″(t)=e(t) throughout [t₀,+∞). We also establish that for any μ>μ^? and any negative-valued E(t)=o(t−μ) as t→+∞ the differential equation has a negative-valued solution decaying to 0 at + ∞ as o(t−μ). In this way, we are not in the reach of any of the developments from the recent paper [C.H. Ou, J.S.W. Wong, Forced oscillation of nth-order functional differential equations, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 262 (2001) 722-732].     

Limit-point type solutions of nonlinear differential equations

We are concerned with the nonexistence of L²-solutions of a nonlinear differential equation x″=a(t)x+f(t,x). By applying technique similar to that exploited by Hallam [SIAM J. Appl. Math. 19 (1970) 430-439] for the study of asymptotic behavior of solutions of this equation, we establish nonexistence of solutions from the class L²(t₀,∞) under milder conditions on the function a(t) which, as the examples show, can be even square integrable. Therefore, the equation under consideration can be classified as of limit-point type at infinity in the sense of the definition introduced by Graef and Spikes [Nonlinear Anal. 7 (1983) 851-871]. We compare our results to those reported in the literature and show how they can be extended to third order nonlinear differential equations.     

Oscillation and asymptotic behavior of bounded solutions of functional differential equations with delay

Conditions on a(t), g(t), and f(t) have been found under which the bounded nonoscillatory solutions of the equation y⁽ⁿ⁾(t) ? a(t) y(g(t)) = f(t) approach zero. For the even order equation y⁽²ⁿ⁾(t) ? a(t) y(g(t)) = f(t) the delay is shown to be causing the oscillatory behavior.     

Oscillatory of unstable type second-order neutral difference equations

We consider the problem of oscillation and nonoscillation solutions for unstable type second-order neutral difference equation: Δ²(x(n) − p(n)x(n −τ)) =q(n)x(g(n)). (1) In this paper, we obtain some conditions for the bounded solutions of Eq(1) to be oscillatory and for the existence of the nonoscillatory solutions.     

Property (X) for Second-Order Nonlinear Differential Equations of Generalized Euler Type

In this paper the generalized nonlinear Euler differential equation t²k(tu′)u″ + t(f(u)+ k(tu′))u′ + g(u) = 0 is considered. Here the functions f(u), g(u) and k(u) satisfy smoothness conditions which guarantee the uniqueness of solutions of initial value problems, however, no conditions of sub(super) linearity are assumed. We present some necessary and sufficient conditions and some tests for the equivalent planar system to have or fail to have property (X⁺), which is very important for the existence of periodic solutions and oscillation theory.     

Periodic solutions for a kind of Rayleigh equation with a deviating argument

In this paper, we use the coincidence degree theory to establish new results on the existence of T-periodic solutions for the Rayleigh equation with a deviating argument of the form

x^″+f(x^′(t))+g(t,x(t−τ(t)))=p(t).     

Existence of nonoscillatory solutions to neutral dynamic equations on time scales

In this paper, we give an analogue of the Arzela-Ascoli theorem on time scales. Then, we establish the existence of nonoscillatory solutions to the neutral dynamic equation Δ[x(t)+p(t)x(g(t))]+f(t,x(h(t)))=0 on a time scale. To dwell upon the importance of our results, three interesting examples are also included.     

Asymptotic behaviour of a class of nonlinear functional differential equations of third order

This paper deals with nonoscillatory behaviour of solutions of third-order nonlinear functional differential equations of the form y‴ + p(t)y′ + q(t)F(y(g(t))) = 0. It has been shown that under certain conditions on coefficient functions, the nonoscillatory solutions of this equation tends to either zero or ∓∞ as t → ∞.     

On non-autonomous strongly damped wave equations with a uniform attractor and some averaging

In this paper we study the existence of a uniform attractor for strongly damped wave equations with a time-dependent driving force. If the time-dependent function is translation compact, then in a certain parameter region, the uniform attractor of the system has a simple structure: it is the closure of all the values of the unique, bounded complete trajectory of the wave equation. And it attracts any bounded set exponentially. At the same time, we consider the strongly damped wave equations with rapidly oscillating external force gε(x,t)=g(x,t,t/ε) having the average g⁰(x,t) as ε→⁰⁺. We prove that the Hausdorff distance between the uniform attractor Aε of the original equation and the uniform attractor A₀ of the averaged equation is less than O(ε1/2). We mention, in particular, that the obtained results can be used to study the usual damped wave equations.     

Periodic solutions of Duffing equations with semi-quadratic potential and singularity

In this paper, we deal with the existence of periodic solutions of the second order differential equations x^″+g(x)=p(t) with singularity. We prove that the given equation has at least one periodic solution when g(x) has singularity at origin, satisfies