On a local theory of asymptotic integration for nonlinear ordinary differential equations

By revisiting an asymptotic integration theory of nonlinear ordinary differential equations due to J.K. Hale and N. Onuchic [Contributions Differential Equations 2 (1963), 61--75], we improve and generalize several recent results in the literature. As an application, we study the existence of bounded positive solutions to a large class of semi-linear elliptic partial differential equations via the subsolution-supersolution approach.