SOLUTION: Given that 1, 3, 7, … is a linear recurrence sequence, find its closed form. thank's

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Question 290530: Given that 1, 3, 7, … is a linear recurrence sequence, find its closed form.
thank's

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20066) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Given that 1, 3, 7, … is a linear recurrence sequence, find its closed form.
thank's.

List the three given terms:                          1   3   7
List the successive differences                        2   4
List the successive diferences of diferences             2

It takes 2 differences to get to a row
containing only one number, so we assume
a polynomial in n of degree 2. 

a%5Bn%5D=An%5E2%2BBn%2BC

For n = 1

a%5B1%5D=A%281%29%5E2%2BB%281%29%2BC
1=A%281%29%5E2%2BB%281%29%2BC
1=A%2BB%2BC
A%2BB%2BC=1

For n = 1

a%5B2%5D=A%282%29%5E2%2BB%282%29%2BC
3=A%282%29%5E2%2B2B%2BC
3=A%284%29%2B2B%2BC
3=4A%2B2B%2BC
4A%2B2B%2BC=3

For n = 3

a%5B3%5D=A%283%29%5E2%2BB%283%29%2BC
7=A%283%29%5E2%2B3B%2BC
7=A%289%29%2B3B%2BC
7=9A%2B3B%2BC
9A%2B3B%2BC=7

So we have the system of equations:

system%28A%2BB%2BC=1%2C+4A%2B2B%2BC=3%2C9A%2B3B%2BC=7%29

Solve that and get A=1, B=-1, C=1

Substituting in:

a%5Bn%5D=An%5E2%2BBn%2BC
a%5Bn%5D=%281%29n%5E2%2B%28-1%29n%2B%281%29
a%5Bn%5D=n%5E2-n%2B1

Edwin