Periodic solutions of a certain fourth order differential equations (Q1120046)

The differential equation of the form \[ (1)\quad x^{(4)}+a_ 1x^{(3)}+a_ 2\ddot x+a_ 3\dot x+a_ 3x=0 \] where the coefficients \(a_ i(i=1,4)\) are all constants is considered. The differential equation has no periodic solutions different from zero if (2) \(a_ 4>a^ 2_ 2/4\) or (3) \(a_ 1a_ 3<0\), \(a_ 4\neq 0\). But the perturbed equation \[ (4)\quad x^{(4)}+a_ 1x^{(3)}+a_ 2\ddot x+a_ 3\dot x+a_ 4(x)=p(t) \] in which \(p\neq 0\) is any continuous \(\omega\)-periodic function of t, has an \(\omega\)-periodic solution under the conditions (2), (3). Up to now there are known some extensions of the conditions (2), (3) in one form or other of the existence result for the equation (4) where some \(a_ 1,...,a_ 4\) are not constants. In the article sufficient conditions for the existence of periodic solutions of a nonautonomous differential equation of the form \[ x^{(4)}+f_ 1(\ddot x)x^{(3)}+f_ 2(\dot x)\ddot x+f_ 3(\dot x)+f_ 4(x)=p(t,x,x\quad \dot {\;},\ddot x,\dddot x) \] are obtained.