Oscillation and nonoscillation of solutions of a second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation (Q2302191)

The authors discuss the problem of oscillation and non-oscillation of solutions of the Emden-Fowler differential equations \[ x''+a(t)|x|^{\gamma-1}x=0 \tag{1} \] for $t\in[t_0,\infty)$. Eq. (1) is called Emden-Fowler sub-linear if $\gamma\in(0,1)$, Emden-Fowler super-linear if $\gamma\in(1,\infty)$, and linear equation if $\gamma=1$. The results obtained in this paper are described via the function defined as \[ B(t)=\lim_{\tau\to\infty}\frac{1}{\tau}\int_t^\tau\left(\int_t^sa(r)\mathrm{d}r\right)\mathrm{d}s,\qquad t\geq t_0. \] In the case that $B(t)\geq0$ for $t\geq t_0$, a necessary and sufficient conditions for oscillation of all solutions of Eq. (1) is established. Besides the general case, sub-linear and super-linear cases are also investigated specifically. In this paper, the obtained results can be considered as extentions or generalizations of the well-known (non-)oscillaton results of \textit{A. Wintner} [Q. Appl. Math. 7, 115--117 (1949; Zbl 0032.34801)], \textit{P. Hartman} [Am. J. Math. 74, 389--400 (1952; Zbl 0048.06602)], \textit{J. S. W. Wong} [SIAM J. Appl. Math. 14, 724--728 (1966; Zbl 0145.33702)], \textit{W. J. Coles} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 82, 123--133 (1969; Zbl 0188.15304)] and \textit{G. J. Butler} [SIAM J. Math. Anal. 11, 190--200 (1980; Zbl 0424.34033)].