On the disconjugacy property of an equation on a graph (Q299158)

This paper studies fourth-order ordinary differential equations on geometric graphs. The notion of strong disconjugacy of such an equation is defined, in terms of the nonvanishing of a certain fundamental system of solutions in the interior of the graph. Relations between the strong disconjugacy concept and the positivity of the Green's function are established, as well as a maximum principle, and applications to positivity of solutions of differential inequalities.