RECEUURNECE REALTIONS ASSIGNMENT 1

RECURRENCE RELATIONS
1. Find the solution for the recurrence relation
 x n = 6x n −1 − 9x n −2

x 0 = 2
x = 3
 1
2. Two persons A and B gamble dollars on the toss of a fair coin. A has $ 70 and B has $30. In each
play either A wins $1 from B or loss $1 to B. The game is played without stop until one wins all the
money of the other or goes forever. Find the probabilities of the following three possibilities :
(a) A wins all the money of B.
(b) A loss all his money to B.
(c) The game continues forever.
3. Consider the non homogeneous equation
 x n = 3x n −1 + 10x n −2 + 7.5n

x 0 = 4
x = 3
 1
4. Consider the non-homogonous equation
 x n = 10x n −1 − 25x n −2 + 8.5n

x 0 = 6
 x = 10
 1
5. Derive a RRwIC for dn, the number of sequence of he 26 upper case letters that do not Contin DOG.
6. Let a0 = 0, a1 = 1, an = 2an-1 + an-2(n  2). Prove that 2k |an if and only if 2k | n.
(Note: a | b express that b is divisible by a).
7. How many numbers of ways are there such that a 2  n chessboard can be perfect covered by n 1  2
rectangle without gaps and without overlaps?
8. Suppose a sphere is divided into an regions by n big circles on this sphere, no three of which are
concurrent. Find an.
9. How many n-digit numbers can be formed by the digits 1, 2, 3, 4 such that the number of the digit 1
is even?
10. Four men A, B, C and D pass a ball to each other satisfying the following requirement: every man
who accepts the ball pass this ball to any one of other three men at once. Suppose that a begin to pass
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 2

the ball (as first time passing ball). In haw many distinct ways can the ball return to A after 10 passes
of the ball.
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 3

SOLUTIONS
1. Find the solution for the recurrence relation
 x n = 6x n −1 − 9x n −2

x 0 = 2
x = 3
 1
Sol: The characteristic equation  (r –3)2 = 0
has only one root r = 3. Then the general solutions is
xn = c13n + c2n3n
The initial conditions x0 = 2 and x1 = 3 imply that c1 = 2 and c2 = –1. Thus
x n = 2.3n − n.3n = ( 2 − n ) 3n ,n  0
2. Two persons A and B gamble dollars on the toss of a fair coin. A has $ 70 and B has $30. In each
play either A wins $1 from B or loss $1 to B. The game is played without stop until one wins all the
money of the other or goes forever. Find the probabilities of the following three possibilities :
(a) A wins all the money of B.
(b) A loss all his money to B.
(c) The game continues forever.
Sol: Either A and B can keep track of the game simply by counting their own money. Their position n
(number of dollars) can be one of the n umbers 0, 1, 2,…, 100. Let Pn = probability that A reaches
100 at position n.
After one toss, A enters into either position n + 1 or position n – 1. The new probability that A
reaches 100 is either pn+1 or pn–1. Since the probability of A moving to position n + 1 or n –1 from is
1/2. We obtain recurrence relation
 1 1
 p n = p n +1 + p n −1
2 2

p0 = 0
p = 1
 100

The characterisic equation
r 2 − 2r + 1 = 0
has only one root r = 1. The general solutions is
pn = c1 + c2n.
Applying the boundary conditions p0 = 0 and p100 =1. We have
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 4

1
c1 = 0 and c 2 =
100
Thus
n
Pn = , 0  n  100
100
n
Of course, p n = , n > 100 is nonsense to the original problem. The probabilities for (a), (b) and
100
(c) are 70%, 30% and 0 respectively
3. Consider the non homogeneous equation
 x n = 3x n −1 + 10x n −2 + 7.5n

x 0 = 4
x = 3
 1
Sol: The characteristic equation is
t 2 − 3t − 10 = 0  ( t − 5)( t + 2 ) = 0

4. Consider the non-homogonous equation

RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 5

 x n = 10x n −1 − 25x n −2 + 8.5n


x 0 = 6
 x = 10
 1
Sol: The characteristic equation

t 2 − 10t + 25 = 0  ( t − 5 ) = 0
2

We have roots r1 = r2 = 5 , then r = r1 = r2 = 5. A special solution can be of the type xn = An25n. Put the
solution into the non homogeneous relation. We the type xn = An25n. Put the solution into the non
homogeneous relation. We have

An 2 5n = 10A ( n − 1) 5n −1 − 25A ( n − 2 ) 5n −2 + 8.5n

2 2

Dividing both sides by 5n-2

An 2 52 = 10A ( n − 1) 5 − 25A ( n − 2 ) + 8.52

2 2

5. Derive a RRwIC for dn, the number of sequence of the 26 upper case letters that do not Contin DOG.
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 6

Sol:

6. Let a0 = 0, a1 = 1, an = 2an-1 + an-2(n  2). Prove that 2k |an if and only if 2k | n.

(Note: a | b express that b is divisible by a).
Sol: The characteristic equation is r2 − 2r − 1 = 0, and the characteristic roots are rl.2 = 1 ± 2. So an = c1(l
1 1
+2)n + c2(1− 2)n. From a0 = 0, and a1 = 1, we know that C1 = , C2 = .
2 2 2 2
1 𝑛 1 𝑛
Thus 𝑎𝑛 = 2√2 (1 + √2) − 2√2 (1 − √2) .

Set (l + 2)n = An + Bn2 (An, Bn  N+), then (1 −2)n = An − Bn2, an =Bn, and An2 −2B n2 = (−1)n.
It implies An is odd. Let n = 2k (2t + 1) (k, t are nonnegative integers). Thus we need to prove that Bn
is a multiple of 2k but not 2k + l. We prove by induction on n. When k = 0, then n = 2t + 1 is odd, and
An is also odd, so 2B n2, = A n2 +1  2 (mod 4). Thus Bn is odd, and it means that Bn is a multiple of
20 but not 21. Assume that when k = m, Bn is a multiple of 2m but not 2m+1 , and when k = m + 1,
with (An + Bn 2)2 = (1 +2)2n = A2n + 2B2n , we obtain B2n = 2AnB2n and since An is odd, B2m is a
multiple of 2m+1 but not 2m+2 , and 2n = 2k+1 (2t + 1). Therefore, we complete the proof.
7. How many numbers of ways are there such that a 2  n chessboard can be perfect covered by n 1  2
rectangle without gaps and without overlaps?
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 7

Sol: Assume that there are an distinct ways. Obviously, a1 = 1, a2 = 2. When the chessboard is 2  n, if we
use 1  2 rectangles to cover two small squares on the leftmost column, then there are an-1 distinct
ways to cover the remaining 2  (n - 1) rectangles on the chessboard, and if we use two 1  2
rectangles to cover the leftmost 2  2 square on the chessboard, then there are an-2 distinct ways to
cover the remaining 2  (n – 2) rectangles on the chessboard. Thus an = an-1 + an-2. We obtain

1  1 + 5  1− 5  
n +1 n +1

an =   −   
5  2   2  

8. Suppose a sphere is divided into an regions by n big circles on this sphere, no three of which are
concurrent. Find an.
Sol: Obviously, a1 = 2. Since the sphere is divided into an-1 regions by n – 1 big circles, and no three of
circles are concurrent, the number of intersecting points of the nth great circle and the n – 1 big
circles is 2 (n – 1) and the nth big circle is divided into 2 (n – 1) arcs by these intersecting points.
Hence each original region is divided into two regions by these arcs, and the number of incremental
regions is 2 (n – 1), and this is an = an-1 + 2(n – 1). Therefore
n n
an = a1 +  ( ak − ak −1 ) = 2 + 2 ( k − 1)
k =2 k =2

n ( n − 1)
= 2+ 2• = n2 − n + 2 .
2
9. How many n-digit numbers can be formed by the digits 1, 2, 3, 4 such that the number of the digit 1
is even?
Sol: Obviously, a1 = 3. Among the n-digit numbers satisfying the given conditions, the number of n-digit
numbers with leading digit 1 is 4n-1− an-1 and the number of n-digit numbers with leading digit k = 2,
3 or 4 is 3an-1, thus
𝑎𝑛 = 4𝑛−1 − 𝑎𝑛−1 + 3𝑎𝑛−1 = 2𝑎𝑛−1 + 4𝑛−1
𝑎 1 𝑎 1 an 1 1
Both sides are divided by 4𝑛 : 4𝑛𝑛 = 2 . 4𝑛−1
𝑛−1
+ 4, and set bn = n
then bn = bn −1 + ,
4 2 4
1 1 1
i,e. bn − =  bn −1 − 
2 2 2
So
n −1 n −1
1  1  1   3 1  1  1
bn − =  b1 −   =  −   = .
2  2  2   4 2  2  2n +1
RECEUURNECE REALTIONS 8

Therefore
 1 1 1
an = 4n bn = 4n  n +1 +  = ( 2n + 4n ) .
2 2 2
10. Four men A, B, C and D pass a ball to each other satisfying the following requirement: every man
who accepts the ball pass this ball to any one of other three men at once. Suppose that a begin to pass
the ball (as first time passing ball). In haw many distinct ways can the ball return to A after 10 passes
of the ball.
Sol: Assume that the ball returns to A after n times in an distinct ways. It can be easily concluded that a1 =
0, and a2 = 3 and there are 3n-1 distinct ways to pass the ball n – 1 times continually. These ways are
divided into two classes: (1) the ball returns to A after the (n – 1)th times in an-1 distinct ways and (2)
the ball is passed to one of B, C, D after the (n – 1)th times but the ball returns to A after the nth time
an 1 an −1 1 a 1 1
in an distinct ways . Hence an-1 + an = 3n-1, i.e. n
+ . n −1 = , Set bn = nn , thus bn + 3 𝑏𝑛−1 = 3,
3 3 3 3 3
1 1
i.e. bn − 4 . (𝑏𝑛−1 − 4).

1 1
(Note that 1/4 is the root of the equation x + x = ) Hence
3 3
n −1 n −1
1  1  1  1  1 
bn − =  b1 −   −  =  −  − 
4  4  3  4  3 
 1  1 n −1 1  1 n
an = 3 bn = 3  −  −  +  = 3 + ( −1) 3
n n n
( )
 4  3  4  4

Especially, a10 =
4
(
1 10
)
3 + ( −1) 3 = 14763 .
10