Oscillation of second-order nonlinear differential equations with nonlinear damping (Q1827301)

The paper contains several oscillation criteria for the nonlinear differential equation \[ (r(t)k_1(x,x^{\prime }))^{\prime }+p(t)k_2(x,x^{\prime })x^{\prime }+q(t)f(x)=0, \] where \(t\geq t_0\geq 0\), under one of the leading assumptions: (1) \(k_1^2(u,v)\leq \alpha _1vk_1(u,v)\), \(uvk_2(u,v)\geq \alpha _2k_1^2(u,v)\), \(p(t)\geq 0\), \(\alpha _1>0\), \(\alpha _2\geq 0\); (2) \(k_1^2(u,v)\leq \alpha _1vk_1(u,v)\), \(uvk_2(u,v)=\alpha _2k_1^2(u,v)\), \(\alpha _1\alpha _2p(t)+r(t)>0\), \(\alpha _1\), \(\alpha _2>0\); (3) \(k_1^2(u,v)\leq \alpha _1vk_1(u,v)\), \(k_1(u,v)=vk_2(u,v)\), \(\alpha _1>0\). The Philos class of test functions \(H(t,s)\) introduced here (p. 198) is governed by the formula \(-\partial H(t,s)/\partial s=h(t,s)\sqrt{H(t,s)}\). The proofs of the results rely on an averaging technique of Kamenev-type for certain Riccati substitutions. In case (1), one of the results reads as: Suppose that \(f(x)/x\geq K>0\) for all \(x\neq 0\) and \(q(t)\geq 0\). Assume also that \[ \limsup_{t\rightarrow +\infty} H(t,t_0)^{-1}\int_{t_0}^t[H(t,s)\rho (s)q(s)-\frac{\alpha _1r^2(s)\rho (s)}{4K(\alpha _1\alpha _2p(s)+r(s))}Q^2(t,s)]ds=+\infty, \] where \(Q(t,s)=h(t,s)-[\rho ^{\prime }(s)/\rho (s)]\sqrt{H(t,s)}\), for a certain positive, continuously differentiable function \(\rho \). Then, the equation is oscillatory. In case (2), the same conclusion is valid provided that the above condition is fulfilled. In case (3), we have: Suppose that \(xf(x)\neq 0\) and \(f^{\prime }(x)\geq K>0\) for all \(x\neq 0\). Assume also that \[ \limsup_{t\rightarrow +\infty } H(t,t_0)^{-1}\int_{t_0}^t[H(t,s)\rho (s)q(s)-(\alpha _1/4K)r(s)\rho (s)Q^2(t,s)]ds=+\infty , \] where \(Q(t,s)=h(t,s)+[p(s)/r(s)-\rho ^{\prime }(s)/\rho (s)]\sqrt{H(t,s)}\), for a certain positive, continuously differentiable function \(\rho \). Then, the equation is oscillatory. Another result deals with a nondifferentiable function \(f\) in the case of \(p\) with varying sign by imposing a differentiability condition on \(p\) (Theorem 3.5). The paper is elegantly written and an elaborated discussion of the relevant literature accompanies the computations.