Second-order Emden-Fowler neutral differential equations: a new precise criterion for oscillation (Q2233252)

The paper deals with the second-order Emden-Fowler neutral differential equation of the form \[ \frac{d}{dt}(r(t)(\frac{d}{dt}(x(t)+p(t)x(\tau(t)))))^{\alpha}+q(t)x^{\alpha}(\sigma(t))=0,t\geq t_0, \] where \(r\), \(p\), \(\tau\), \(q\), \(\sigma\) are continuous real-valued functions on the interval \([t_0,+\infty)\). Also, \(\alpha\) is the ratio of odd positive integers, \(r>0\), \(p\), \(q\) are nonnegative functions, with \(p\) bounded from above, \(q\) is not identically equal to zero on any right unbounded interval, and the delays \(\tau\), \(\sigma\) tend to \(+\infty\) as \(t\to+\infty\). The main result of the paper, which is proved by using a nonstandard Riccati substitution, is the following: Assume that \(\alpha\geq 1\), \(\sigma'(t)>0\), \(\int_{t_0}^tr^{-1/\alpha}(\eta)d\eta\to+\infty\), \(\tau(\sigma)=\sigma(\tau)\), \(\tau'(t)\geq \tau_0>0\) and \(\sigma\leq \tau\). If there is a positive differentiable function \(\varphi\) defined on \([t_0,\infty)\) such that \(\limsup_{t+\infty}\int_{t_1}^t[2^{1-\alpha}\varphi(\eta)Q(\eta)-(1+p_0^{\alpha}\tau_0^{-1}){(\alpha+1)^{-(\alpha+1)}} r(\sigma(\eta))(\varphi'(\eta))^{\alpha+1}(\sigma'(\eta)\varphi(\eta))^{-\alpha}]d\eta=+\infty\), where \(Q(t)\) is the quantity \(\min\{q(t),q(\tau(t))\}\), then all solutions are oscillatory. Also, if \(\alpha\in(0,1]\) and \(\sigma'(t)>0\), then the factor \(2^{1-\alpha}\) in the integral above is replaced with 1. Two examples illustrate the results and show the improvement of known relative results.