CENG 2003

Assist. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Filiz EREN

LECTURE 8: RECURRENCES
Rosen 5th ed., §6.1 – 6.3
RECURRENCE RELATIONS
¢ Some of the counting problems that cannot be
solved using the techniques discussed in Chapter
4 can be solved by finding relationships, called
recurrence relations, between the terms of a
sequence.
¢ We will study a variety of counting problems that
can be modeled using recurrence relations.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
¢ Solve problems using recurrence relations.
¢ Define appropriate recurrence relations for a
given problem.
¢ Solve linear recurrence relations by recognizing
homogeneity, linearity, constant coefficients,
degree, and characteristic equation.
¢ Design recurrence relations using the divide-and-
conquer algorithm.

(#)
BOOK EX-3: COMPOUND INTEREST
¢ Suppose that a person deposits $10,000 in a savings
account at a bank yielding 11% per year with interest
compounded annually. How much will be in the account
after 30 years?
Solution:
¢ To solve this problem, let Pn denote the amount in the
account after n years. Since the amount in the account
after n years equals the amount in the account after n- 1
years plus interest for the nth year, we see that the
sequence {Pn} satisfies the recurrence relation

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BOOK EX-4: RABBITS AND THE FIBONACCI
NUMBERS
¢ A young pair of rabbits (one of each sex) is placed
on an island. A pair of rabbits does not breed
until they are 2 months old. After they are 2
months old, each pair of rabbits produces another
pair each month, as shown in Figure 1. Find a
recurrence relation for the number of pairs of
rabbits on the island after n months, assuming
that no rabbits ever die.

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BOOK EX-4: RABBITS AND THE FIBONACCI
NUMBERS

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EX: PARANTHESIS OF MULTIPLICATION

The picture can't be displayed.

¢ Find a recurrence relation for Cn, the number of

ways to parenthesize the product of n + 1 numbers,
x0 × x1 × .... × xn
to specify the order of multiplication.

(For example, C3 = 5 since there are five ways to

parenthesize x0 × x1 × .... × x5 to determine the order of
multiplication. Show!)

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EX: BIT STRINGS OF LENGTH N THAT DO NOT HAVE
TWO CONSECUTIVE 0’S

¢ Find a recurrence relation and give initial conditions

for the number of bit strings of length n that do not
have two consecutive 0s. How many such bit strings
are there of length five? Assume n≥3
¢ Examples: 01111010, 10, 10101

sn = sn-1 + sn-2
s1 = 2
s2 = 3 6
LINEAR HOMOGENEOUS RECURRENCE
RELATIONS WITH CONSTANT COEFFICIENTS

We’ve seen a variety. Techniques for solving

depend on the particular form of the recurrence.

Linear Recurrences with Constant Coefficients

an = c1an-1 + c2an-2 + … + ckan-k + f(n) “order k”

Ex. an = 5an-1 - 6an-2 , a0 = 0, a1 = 1

a2 = 5
Given any k consecutive values, a
a3 = 5(5) - 6(1) = 19 unique solution exists.
a4 = … 7
THEOREM

¢ BOOK EXAMPLE-3: What is the solution of the

recurrence relation:
an = an -1 + 2an - 2
with a0 = 2, a1 = 7
Rewrite:
Find characteristic eqn:
Find roots of char eqn:
Find general solution:
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EXAMPLE

Linear homogeneous recurrence relations with

constant coefficients.
We want to be able to
another example: compute T(n), without
T(n) = 7T(n-1) - 10T(n-2) having to compute T(n-k)
T(0) = 2, T(1) = 1
To achieve this we “solve” the
recurrence.
Rewrite: T(n) - 7T(n-1) + 10T(n-2) = 0
Find characteristic eqn: r2 - 7r + 10 = 0
Find roots of char eqn: (r-2)(r-5) = 0, r=2,5
General solution is T(n) = α12n + α25n
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EXAMPLE CONT’D

Example continued:
T(n) = 7T(n-1) - 10T(n-2)
T(0) = 2, T(1) = 1

General solution is T(n) = α12n + α25n

Now what? … think about what we know!

α 12 0 + α 25 0 = 2 α 1+ α 2 = 2 α1= 3, α2 = -1
α 12 1 + α 25 1 = 1 2α1 + 5α2 = 1

Unique solution is T(n) = 3·2n - 5n 10

EXERCISE

You try a tricky one:

T(n) = T(n-2)/4
T(0) = 1, T(1) = 0

Rewrite:
Find characteristic eqn:
Find roots of char eqn:
General solution is
Set up system of eqn to get unique soln.

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BOOK EXAMPLE-6

Find the solution to the recurrence relation:

an = 6an-1 - 11an-2 + 6an-3, n ³ 3

a0 = 2, a1 = 5, a2 = 15

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EXERCISE

Find the solution to the recurrence relation:

an = 4an-1 - 5an-2 + 2an-3, n ³ 3

a0 = 0, a1 = 1, a2 = 2

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LINEAR NON-HOMOGENEOUS RECURRENCE
RELATIONS

Linear NONhomogeneous recurrence relations with

constant coefficients.

c0an + c1an-1 + c2an-2 + … + ckan-k = f(n),

constant
Where f(n) is
polynomial in n
cn for some constant c
cn · polynomial(n)

This approach is different than the one before.

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THEOREM

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BOOK EX-10
¢ Find all solutions of the recurrence relation
an = 3an-1 + 2n. What is the solution with a1 =3?

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BOOK EX-11
¢ Find all solutions of the recurrence relation
n
an = 5an -1 - 6an - 2 + 7

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SEQUENCES

First, some notation:

A sequence a0, a1, a2, …, is denoted áanñ

Examples á2nñ = 1,2,4,8,…

án2ñ = 0,1,4,9,…
ánñ = 0,1,2,3,…

Note: if áanñ and ábnñ are sequences, then áanñ + ábnñ

represents the sequence áan + bnñ (termwise addition). 18
SEQUENCES

Sequence operators:

Constant multiplication
c·áanñ defined to be ác·anñ
Ex: 3·á2nñ = á3·2nñ = 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, …

Shift “E”
Eáanñ = áan+1ñ shifts the sequence
Ex: Eá2nñ = á2n+1ñ = 2, 4, 8, 16, …
Ex: Eá3n + 1ñ = á3(n+1) + 1ñ = á3n + 4ñ

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SEQUENCES

Combining operators:

If A,B are seq ops, then A+B is a seq op:

(A+B)áanñ defined to be Aáanñ + Báanñ
Ex: (E+2)á2nñ = Eá2nñ + 2á2nñ
= á2n+1ñ + á2·2nñ
= á2n+1ñ + á2n+1ñ
= á2n+1 + 2n+1ñ
= á2·2n+1ñ = á2n+2ñ
If A,B are seq ops, then AB is a seq op:
(AB)áanñ defined to be A(Báanñ)
Ex: E3áanñ = E·E·Eáanñ = E(E(Eáanñ)) = áan+3ñ
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SEQUENCES

An important operator: (E-1) Discrete derivative

Example: (E-1)ánñ = Eánñ - ánñ

= án + 1ñ - ánñ
= án + 1 - nñ = á1ñ
More generally: (E-1)áanñ = áan+1ñ - áanñ
= áan+1 - anñ
(E-1)án2ñ = Eán2ñ - án2ñ
= á(n+1)2ñ - án2ñ
= án2 + 2n + 1ñ - án2ñ = á2n + 1ñ
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SEQUENCES

For any constant sequence ácñ:

(E-1)ácñ = á0ñ (E-1) “annihilates” ácñ

TRICK: to solve a NONhomogeneous linear

recurrence with constant coefficients, turn
it into a homogeneous recurrence by applying
operators to annihilate the right side.

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EXAMPLE

Solve an = 5an-1 - 6an-2 + 4

Rewrite: an - 5an-1 + 6an-2 = 4

Rewrite again so n is smallest index:
an+2 - 5an+1 + 6an = 4
Rewrite again as a sequence:
áan+2 - 5an+1 + 6anñ = á4ñ
Rewrite again using operators:
(E2 - 5E + 6)áanñ = á4ñ
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(E-1) “annihilates” ácñ
EXAMPLE CONT’D

Example: solve an = 5an-1 - 6an-2 + 4

(E2 - 5E + 6)áanñ = á4ñ (E-1) “annihilates” ácñ

Annihilate right side:
(E-1)(E2 - 5E + 6)áanñ = (E-1)á4ñ
(E3 - 6E2 + 11E - 6)áanñ = á0ñ
But that’s just:
an+3 - 6an+2 + 11an+1 - 6an = 0
an - 6an-1 + 11an-2 - 6an-3 = 0
Homogeneous!!!
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EXAMPLE CONT’D

Example: solve an - 6an-1 + 11an-2 - 6an-3 = 0 Homogeneous!!!

Characteristic equation:
(r3 - 6r2 + 11r - 6) = 0
(r-1)(r-2)(r-3) = 0

General solution: an = A1 + A22n + A33n

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