On the unicity of solutions for the differential equation \(x^{(n)}(t)=f(t,x)\) (Q1313203)

The author considers the initial value problem for a system (1) \(x^{(n)}(t)= f(t,x)(t>0)\), \(x(0)= 0\), \(x'(0)= c_ 1,\dots,x^{(n- 1)}(0)= c_{n-1}\), where \(f\) is continuous in \(D: 0\leq t\leq a\), \(| x|\leq b\). The main result is the following uniqueness theorem: If \[ | f(t,x)- f(t,y)|\leq {u^{(n)}(t)\over u(t)} | x- y|, \] where \(u\in C^{n-1}([0,a])\), \(u^{(n-1)}\in AC(0,a)\), \(u^{(j)}(0)= 0\) for \(0< j< n\), \(u(t)>0\) in \((0,a]\), and \[ {| f(t,x)- f(t,y)|\over u^{(n)}}\to 0\quad\text{as } t\to 0+,\;(x,y)\to 0, \] then problem (1) has at most one solution. In the case \(u(t)= t^ n\), this theorem reduces to a result of A. Wintner.