Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ia/paper-2/8b/i/solution

For the homogeneous linear recurrence relation, a trial gives the characteristic equation of a linear recurrence . Thus the two homogeneous sequences are and . Seek a particular solution ; substitution gives , so and . Hence
The two independent constants supply arbitrary initial values for this second-order linear recurrence relation.

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