Oscillatory properties of second-order functional-differential equations of neutral type (Q1874932)

The authors consider the second-order nonlinear differential equation of neutral type \[ (r(t)(x(t)+p(t)x(t-\tau))')' +q(t)f(x(\sigma(t)))=0 \quad\text{for }t\geq t_0, \tag{1} \] under the assumptions (a) \(\tau\) is a positive constant; (b) \(r,p,q\in C([t_0,\infty))\) and \(\sigma\in C^1([t_0,\infty))\); (c) \(r(t)>0\), \(q(t)>0\), and \(0\leq p(t)\leq p<1\); (d) \(\sigma'(t)>0\), \(\sigma(t)\leq t\), and \(\lim_{t\to\infty}\sigma(t)=\infty\); (e) \(f\in C(\mathbb{R})\) is nondecreasing, \(f\in C^1(\mathbb{R}\setminus \{0\})\), and \(uf(u)>0\) if \(u\neq 0\); (f) \(R(t)=\int_{t_0}^t\frac{ds}{r(s)}\to\infty\) as \(t\to\infty\). Sufficient conditions for equation (1) to be oscillatory are presented for various forms of the function \(f(u)\).