New oscillation criteria for linear matrix Hamiltonian systems (Q5970578)

The paper deals with qualitative properties of the solutions \((X,Y)\) of the linear matrix Hamiltonian system given by \[ X'=A(t)X+B(t)Y, \quad \quad Y'=C(t)X-A^{\ast}(t)Y,\tag{S} \] where the coefficients are assumed to be real continuous \(n \times n\)-matrix functions on the interval \([t_{0},\infty), t_{0}>-\infty\), with \(B(t)=B^{\ast}(t)>0\) and \(C(t)=C^{\ast}(t) \) (here, \(M^{\ast}\) denotes the transpose conjugate of the matrix \(M\)). The authors establish new sufficient criteria for system \((S)\) to be oscillatory (a solution \((X,Y)\) of \((S)\) is oscillatory whenever \(\text{det}X(t)\neq 0\) for some \(t\geq t_{0}\), \(X^{\ast}(t)Y(t)-Y^{\ast}(t)X(t)=0\) for every \(t\geq t_{0}\), and the function \(\text{det}X(t)\) has arbitrarily large zeros; system \((S)\) is oscillatory if there exists an oscillatory solution \((X,Y)\)). Following \textit{F. Meng} [Appl. Math. Comput. 131, 357--372 (2002; Zbl 1055.34066)], oscillation criteria are established in terms of the coefficients of \((S)\) and of the fundamental matrix \(\Phi(t)\) of the linear equation \(x'=A(t)x\). In general, it is a difficult task to obtain this matrix, and for this reason the results obtained in the above mentioned paper are not easy to apply. Now, the authors present new and direct criteria depending on the coefficients of \((S)\), on certain functions \(H(t,s)\) mapping \(\{(t,s):t\geq s \geq t_{0}\}\) into the nonnegative real numbers, and on arbitrary positive linear functionals \(g\) defined on the space of \(n\times n\)-matrices with real entries. No conditions in terms of the fundamental matrix are given. After proving the main results, two examples are considered for illustration. Finally, the authors announce that they are able to obtain many new criteria for the oscillation of \((S)\) by taking appropriate choices of \(H(t,s)\) and \(g\).