Oscillatory criteria for the systems of two first-order linear differential equations (Q2409609)

In the paper, new oscillation criteria are obtained for linear first-order differential equations. Oscillatory and strict oscillatory criteria in terms of the coefficients of the system are obtained. The set of zeros of the components of solutions of the system \[ \phi'(t)=a_{11}(t)\phi(t)+a_{12}(t)\psi(t),\tag{1.1} \] \[ \psi(t)=a_{21}(t)\phi(t)+a_{22}(t)\psi(t)\tag{1.2} \] in contrast to the set of zeros of the solutions of the equation \[ (p(t)\phi'(t))'+q(t)\phi'(t)+r(t)\phi(t)=0\tag{1.3} \] may have a very complex structure, where \(\psi(t)=p(t)\phi'(t)\). In this work, it is shown that these sets can be partitioned into separate classes (null-classes), for which Sturm-type theorems are valid. It is given the definition of strict oscillation of the system (1.1)-(1.2) in terms of null-classes. It is shown that the oscillation of equation (1.3) follows from the strict oscillation of system (1.1)-(1.2). Moreover, the oscillation of equation (1.3) is equivalent to the strict oscillation of the system \[ \begin{aligned} \phi'(t) & = (1/p(t))\psi(t)\\ \psi(t) & = -r(t)\phi(t)-(q(t)/p(t))\psi(t).\end{aligned} \] Some of the results obtained in this manuscript generalize the well-known Philip Hartman's oscillatory criterion, see Corollary 4.1 and Theorem 4.4 in the paper.