Probability MT22, Recurrence relations


Flashcards

Given a recurrence relation $u _ n$, what two things do you need to add together to get the general solution?

  • $w _ n$, the solution to the homogeneous equation
  • $v _ n$, a particular solution to the equation
\[\sum^k _ {j = 0} a _ j u _ {n+j} = f(n)\]

What is the form of the homogeneous equation for this recurrence relation?

\[\sum^k _ {j = 0} a _ j u _ {n+j} = 0\]

Say you had the recurrence relation $u _ {n+1} = 2u _ n + 1$. What particular solution would you try?

\[u _ n = C\]

@example~

Say you had the recurrence relation $u _ {n+1} = 2u _ n + 2n$. What particular solution would you try?

\[u _ n = Cn + D\]

@example~

What’s the solution to the homogeneous equation $aw _ {n+2} + bw _ {n+1} + cw _ n = 0$ for distinct roots of the auxiliary equation $a\lambda^2 + b\lambda + c = 0$?

\[w _ n = A\lambda _ 1^n + B\lambda _ 2^n\]

What’s the solution to the homogeneous equation $aw _ {n+2} + bw _ {n+1} + cw _ n = 0$ for repeated roots of the auxiliary equation $a\lambda^2 + b\lambda + c = 0$?

\[w _ n = (A + Bn)\lambda^n\]

@Justify why you can use the auxiliary equation $a\lambda^2 + b\lambda + c = 0$ to solve a homogeneous recurrence relation like $aw _ {n+2} + bw _ {n+1} + cw _ n = 0$.

You guess that $w _ n = \lambda^n$ and then factorise.