12 R.P. AGARWAL
2 Main Results
Theorem 1 Let the functions V(n, y, z) cmd W(n, y, z) be defined and continuous for
n > N e Z, y > 0, \z\ < oo and n > N e Z, y < 0, \z\ < oo, respectively. Further, let
(i) V (n, y , z) —> oo uniformly for y > 0 and \z\ < oo as n —>► oo and W (n, y , z) —> oo
uniformly for y < 0 and |z| < oo as n —> oo,
(ii) A V(2) (n,y, z) = Vin + 1, y„+1, 1) — V(«, yn, zn) < 0 for all sufficiently large n,
where {y„, zn} is a solution of (2) such that yn > 0 for all large n, and
(iii) AW(2)(n, y,z) = W(n + 1, yn+\, zn+\) — VP(n, yn, zn) < 0 for all sufficiently large
n, where {yn, zn} is a solution of (2) such that yn < 0 for all large n.
Then, every solution of (1) is oscillatory.
Proof Let {yn}, n > no G Z be a nonoscillatory solution of (1). We assume that
{yn} is eventually positive, i.e., there exists a sufficiently large n\ g Z so that yn > 0
for all n > nl. By condition (i), for n sufficiently large, say n > n2 > n\, we have
V(n\, yni, Znx) < V(n, yn, zn), for all yn > 0, \zn\ < oo. However, condition (ii) implies
that V(ni, ynx, znx) > V(n, yn, zn)· For the case y„ < 0 for all large n, we consider the
function W(n, yn, zn) and arrive at the same contradiction. □
Definition 1 The function v(n, y, z) is called a Lyapunov function for the system (2) if
v(n, y, z) is defined and continuous in its domain of definition and is locally Lipschitzian
in (y, z)· Further, we define Aii(2)(n, y, z) as follows:
Av(2)(«, y, z) = v(n + 1, yn + z„/a„, z„ - /( « , y„+i, z„/a„)) - v(n, y„, z„). (3)
If Au(2)(n, y , z) < 0 then it is known [1,5] that v(n, yn, zn) is nonincreasing in n along the
solution {yn, zn} of (2).
Lemma 2 For n > N*, y > 0, \z\ < oo, where N* can be large, let there exist a
Lyapunov function v(n, y , z) that satisfies the following conditions:
(i) zv(n, y , z) > 0 for z 0, n > y > 0;
(ii) Au(2)(n, y, z) < —ptn> where {pin} is a real sequence defined for all n > N* such that
Further, let there exist a k and aw(n,y,z) and large N such that k > N and w(n, y , z)
is a Lyapunov function defined for n > k, y > 0, z < 0 that satisfies the following
conditions:
(iii) z < w(n,y,z) and w(k,y,z) < b(z), where b(z) is continuous, b(0) = 0, and
b(z) < 0 for z 0,
n- 1
for all large N . (4)