\(L^ 2\)-perturbation of a linear delay differential equation (Q1910009)

An asymptotic formula for the nonautonomous delay differential equation \(\dot x(t) - (a_0 + a(t)) x(t) + (b_0 + b(t)) x(t - \tau)\) is obtained assuming that the equation is an \(L^2\)-perturbation of the autonomous equation \(\dot x(t) = a_0 x(t) + b_0 x(t - \tau)\). The result obtained is an essential generalization of the corresponding result in the classical book by R. Bellman and K. L. Cooke.