Solution estimates and stability tests for linear neutral differential equations (Q2005980)

The authors consider the class of scalar linear neutral delay-differential equations \[ \dot{x}(t) - a(t) \dot{x}(t - \sigma(t)) + \sum_{k=1}^m b_k(t) x(t - \tau_k(t)) = 0 \] with (time-varying) bounded delays \(\sigma\) and \(\tau_k\). Using the change of variable \(z(t) = \exp(\lambda t) x(t)\) and the corresponding auxiliary delay-differential equation (which belongs to the same class), they derive conditions on equation coefficients that ensure the boundedness of the fundamental solution of this auxiliary problem, leading to an exponential estimate for the solution \(x(t)\) of the original equation. Two corollaries derive simpler conditions in special cases. The applicability of these results are then compared to those in [Czech. Math. J. 69, No. 3, 863--891 (2019; Zbl 07088821); Appl. Math. Lett. 81, 79--85 (2018; Zbl 1390.34211] by the same authors.