On the Limit‐Point /Limit‐Circle Problem for Nonlinear Third Order Differential Equations (Q4358517)

The nonlinear DE under consideration has the form \[ y^{[3]}= rf(y,y^{[1]},y^{[2]})\quad\text{in }\mathbb{R}_+,\tag{1} \] where \(y^{[1]}= p^{-1}y'\), \(y^{[2]}= q^{-1}y^{[1]'}\), \(y^{[3]}= y^{[2]'}\) for functions \(p, q\in C(\mathbb{R}_+,\mathbb{R}_+)\), \(r\in L^1_{\text{loc}}(\mathbb{R}_+, \mathbb{R})\), \(f\in C(\mathbb{R}^3, \mathbb{R})\), \(r(t)\) is one-signed, and \(x_1f(x_1, x_2,x_3)\geq 0\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). Equation (1) is termed to be of ``limit-circle type'' when every solution \(y(t)\) in \(\mathbb{R}_+\) satisfies \[ \int^\infty_0 y(t) f(y(t), y^{[1]}(t), y^{[2]}(t)) dt< \infty.\tag{2} \] Otherwise (1) is said to be of ``limit-point type''. The main theorems provide sufficient conditions on \(f\), \(p\), \(q\), \(r\) for (1) to be of each type, extending classic results of Weyl, Burlak, and others. Applications to the ``normal form'' \(-y^{(3)}= a(t)y'+ b(t)f(y)\) are included.