Comparison results for oscillations of delay equations (Q2640765)

Together with the linear delay equation \(x'(t)+P(t)x(t-s_ 1)-Q(t)x(t- s_ 2)=0\) the limiting equation \(y'(t)+py(t-s_ 1)-qy(t-s_ 2)=0,\) \(p=\liminf_{t\to \infty}P(t),\quad q=\limsup_{t\to \infty}Q(t),\quad q(s_ 1-s_ 2)<1,\) is investigated. A comparison result for the oscillation of all solutions in terms of the oscillation of all solutions of the ``limiting equation'' with constant coefficients is demonstrated. Similarly the nonlinear equation \(y'(t)+pf(y(t-s_ 1))-qf(y(t-s_ 2))=0,\quad f(u)/u\to 1\) as \(u\to 0\) is considered.