Hartman-Wintner type lemma, oscillation, and conjugacy criteria for half-linear difference equations (Q1840544)

The author investigates oscillation properties of the second-order half-linear difference equation \((*)\) \(\Delta(r_k|\Delta y_k|^{\alpha-2}\Delta y_k)+p_k |y_{k+1}|^{\alpha-2}y_{k+1}=0\), where \(\alpha>1\) and \(r_k\neq 0\). Necessary conditions for the nonoscillation of (\(*\)), sufficient conditions for nonoscillation/oscillation of (\(*\)), and conjugacy criteria for (\(*\)) are derived in terms of the coefficients \(r_k,p_k\). Results include a discrete half-linear version of the Hartman-Wintner lemma relating the asymptotics of the Riccati equation solutions to a certain limit. Proofs are based on the Riccati technique developed for the half-linear case by the author in his earlier work in Czech. Math. J. 51, No.2, 303-321 (2001; Zbl 0982.39004).