Oscillations of delay difference equations (Q5917664)

New oscillation criteria for delay difference equations are established. The typical result is the following. Consider the delay difference equation \[ \Delta x_n+ p_n x_{n-k} =0, \qquad n= 0, 1, 2,\ldots\;, \tag{1} \] where \(\{p_n\}\) is a sequence of real numbers, \(k\) is a positive integer, and \(\Delta x_n= x_{n+1}- x_n\), and two difference inequalities related with (1), \[ \Delta x_n+ p_n x_{n- k}\leq 0, \qquad n=0, 1, 2, \ldots\;, \tag{2} \] and \[ \Delta x_n+ p_n x_{n-k}\geq 0, \qquad n=0, 1, 2, \ldots\;. \tag{3} \] A solution \(\{x_n \}\) of equation (1) is said to be oscillatory if the terms \(x_n\) of the solution are neither eventually all positive nor eventually all negative. Assume that \(\{p_n \}\) is a nonnegative sequence of real numbers and let \(k\) be a positive integer. Assume further that there exists \(M>0\) such that \[ \liminf_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i= n-k}^{n -1} p_i> M, \qquad \text{and} \qquad M= \limsup_{n\to \infty} p_n> 1- \bigl( {\textstyle {M\over 2}} \bigr)^2. \] Then, (1) has only oscillatory solutions, (2) has no eventually positive solutions, (3) has no eventually negative solutions.