MAT214A

Friday 3-22
Spring 2019 10:50 am – 12:05 pm
 Test#2 on 3.1-3.3, 6.1-6.3, 6.8, 7.1-7.2 Wednesday 3/27 Friday 3/29
 Section 7.1 Homework #2, 3, 9-18 all, skip #34-35
 Quiz on Sections 6.3 (2 questions), 6.8 (1 question) and 7.1 (1 question) today
 Homework questions?

Recall:
Section 7-2 Solving Recurrence Relations
Recall that solving a recurrence relation is to write a formula in terms of n without referring to previous terms
in the sequence.

1. Iteration Method – we repeatedly substitute to find pattern

Last time we found that an = an-1 + n with initial condition a0 = 0 could be written explicitly as an = n2 –
(n−1)( n)
2

2. Method that applies to second order linear homogeneous recurrence relations (LHRR)
First, a linear homogeneous recurrence relation of order or degree k has form: a n = c1an-1 + c2an-2 + . . . + ckan-k

Theorem: Let A and B be real numbers. A second order linear homogeneous recurrence relation of the form:
an= A* an-1 + B*an-2 for all integers n ≥ 2 is satisfied by the sequence 1, t, t 2, t3, . . . tn where t is a non-zero real
number, if and only if t satisfies t2 – At – B = 0
t2 – At – B = 0 is called the “characteristic equation”

Case 1: Two Distinct Roots

Example:
Use the characteristic equation to find solutions to the recurrence relation a n= an-1 + 2*an-2
PART 1: Find all sequences 1, t, t2, t3, . . . tn that satisfy this recurrence relation.
Step #1: We rewrite as a polynomial an = an−1 + 2an−2  tn = tn-1 +2tn-2

Step #2: Divide by tk where k is smallest present power. In this case we divide by t n-2. Result is t2 = t + 2

Step #3: Factor t2 = t + 2

t2 - t -2 = 0
(t - 2)(t + 1) = 0
roots: t = 2 and t = -1

Then, the following sequences satisfy the recurrence relation a n= an-1 + 2*an-2
tn: 1, 2, 22, 23, 24, . . . 2n and sn: 1, (-1), (-1)2, (-1)3, (-1)4, . . . (-1)n
 for n ≥ 0
We stopped here last time: This is the general solution to this recurrence relation.

Today – finish this problem:

PART 2: If we are given initial conditions, we need to find the specific sequence that applies.

Step#4: Use initial conditions to find specific sequence:

Theorem: Now, if tn = 1, t, t2, t3, . . . tn and sn = 1, s, s2, s3, . . . sn satisfy the linear homogeneous recurrence
relation and if C and D are any real numbers, then the specific sequence a 0, a1, a2, . . . an is defined by the
linear combination of these sequences: an = C*tn + D*sn. The coefficients C and D are determined using the
required initial conditions.

Let the initial conditions be a0 = 1 and a1 = 8

Any sequence that satisfies an = C(2n) + D(-1)n also satisfies:

a0: 1 = C*20 + D(-1)0 or 1 = C + D and a1: 8 = C*21 + D*(-1)1 or 8 = 2C - D

C+ D=1
Now we need to solve the system: {2C−D=8 }
Adding these two equations together we get 3C = 9 so C = 3
If we substitute C = 3 into either equation, we get D = -2

an = C(2n) + D(-1)n becomes: an = 3(2n) - 2(-1)n

This solution satisfies the recurrence relation AND the initial conditions.

Check that an = 3(2n) - 2(-1)n and an= an-1 + 2*an-2 have the same solutions as they are different forms for
the same sequence.

Case 2: Single root

Consider again the recurrence relation an= A* an-1 + B*an-2 for all integers n ≥ 2 where A, B are real numbers.
Suppose that the characteristic equation t2 – At – B = 0 has a single root t.
We know that the relation is satisfied by the sequence 1, t, t2, t3, . . . tn where t is a non-zero real number.
But the sequence 0t0, 1t1, 2t2, 3t3, . . . ntn also satisfies the relation.

Example:
Use the characteristic equation to find solutions to the recurrence relation a n= 4*an-1 - 4*an-2
Initial conditions are a0 =1 and b1 = 3
PART 1: Find all sequences 1, t, t2, t3, . . . tn that satisfy this recurrence relation.
Step #1: We rewrite as a polynomial an= 4*an-1 - 4*an-2 tn = 4tn-1 - 4tn-2

Step #2: Divide by tk where k is smallest present power. In this case we divide by t n-2. Result is t2 = 4t - 4
Step #3: Factor t2 - 4t + 4 = 0
(t - 2)(t -2) = 0 so t = 2

Then, the following sequences satisfy the recurrence relation a n= 4*an-1 - 4*an-2
tn: 1, 2, 22, 23, 24, . . . 2n and sn: 0, 2, 2*22, 3*23, 4*24, . . . n*2n
for n ≥ 0

PART 2: If we are given initial conditions, we need to find the specific sequence that applies.

--------------------------------------stopped here ---------------------------------------

Step#4: Use initial conditions to find specific sequence:

Let the initial conditions be a0 = 1 and a1 = 3

Any sequence that satisfies an = C(2n) + D(n*2n) also satisfies:

a0: 1 = C*20 + D(0*20) or 1 = C and a1: 3 = C*21 + D(1*21) or 3 = 2C + 2D

Now, if C =1, then 2D + 2(1) = 3 and D = ½

an = an = C(2n) + D(n*2n) becomes: an = (2n) + (1/2)(n*2n)

This solution satisfies the recurrence relation AND the initial conditions.

Check that an = (2n) + (1/2)(n*2n) and an= 4*an-1 - 4*an-2 have the same solutions as they are different forms
for the same sequence.

Look at homework problems #18, #20