Comparison and oscillation results for delay difference equations with oscillating coefficients (Q1907718)

The authors consider the following delay difference equation \[ x_{n - 1} - x_n + \sum^m_{i = 1} p_i (n) x_{n - k_i (n)} = 0,\;n \in \mathbb{N}_0, \tag{1} \] and the corresponding inequality \[ x_{n - 1} - x_n + \sum^m_{i = 1} p_i (n)x_{n - k_i (n)} \leq 0,\;n \in \mathbb{N}_0, \tag{2} \] where \(k_i (n) : \mathbb{N}_0 \to \mathbb{N}_0\), \(p_i (n) : \mathbb{N}_0 \to \mathbb{R} : = (- \infty, \infty)\). The fundamental assumptions are: (i) there exist positive \(k_1\), \(k_m \in \mathbb{N}_0\) such that \(k_1 \geq k_1(n) \geq k_2(n) \geq \cdots \geq k_m (n) \geq k_m > 0\) for \(n \in \mathbb{N}_0\); and (ii) \(p_1 (n) + p_2 (n) + \cdots + p_s(n) \geq 0\) holds for \(n \in \mathbb{N}_0\) and \(s = 1,2, \dots, m\), and for every \(N \in \mathbb{N}_0\) there exists an \(N_1 \in \mathbb{N}_0\) with \(N \leq N_1\) such that \(p_i (n) \geq 0\) holds for \(n = N_1\), \(N_1 + 1, \dots, N_1 + k_1\) and \(i = 1,2, \dots, m\). Some comparison results on oscillation properties between solutions of (1) and (2) are proved. Then, using them and some known oscillation theorems due to \textit{G. Ladas}, \textit{Ch. G. Philos} and \textit{Y. G. Sficas} [J. Appl. Math. Simulation, 2, No. 2, 101-112 (1989; Zbl 0685.39004)] and \textit{J. Yan} and \textit{C. Qian} [J. Math. Anal. Appl., 165, No. 2, 346-360 (1992; Zbl 0818.39002)], a necessary and sufficient condition and some sufficient conditions for oscillation of Eq. (1) are given. Some misprints are in the paper.