An explicit criterion for the existence of positive solutions of the linear delayed equation \(\dot{x}(t)= -c(t)x(t - \tau (t))\) (Q410145)

Summary: The paper investigates the equation \[ \dot{x}(t) = -c(t)x(t- \tau (t)), \] where \(\tau : [t_0 - r, \infty) \rightarrow (0, r], r > 0, t_0 \in \mathbb R\), and \(c : [t_0 - r, \infty) \rightarrow (0, \infty)\) are continuous functions, and the difference \(t - \tau (t)\) is an increasing function. Its purpose is to derive a new explicit integral criterion for the existence of a positive solution in terms of \(c\) and \(\tau\). An overview of known relevant criteria is provided, and relevant comparisons are also given.