2.II.5B

Differential Equations
Part IA, 2001

The real sequence yk,k=1,2,y_{k}, k=1,2, \ldots satisfies the difference equation

yk+2yk+1+yk=0y_{k+2}-y_{k+1}+y_{k}=0

Show that the general solution can be written

yk=acosπk3+bsinπk3,y_{k}=a \cos \frac{\pi k}{3}+b \sin \frac{\pi k}{3},

where aa and bb are arbitrary real constants.

Now let yky_{k} satisfy

yk+2yk+1+yk=1k+2y_{k+2}-y_{k+1}+y_{k}=\frac{1}{k+2}

Show that a particular solution of ()(*) can be written in the form

yk=n=1kankn+1,y_{k}=\sum_{n=1}^{k} \frac{a_{n}}{k-n+1},

where

an+2an+1+an=0,n1a_{n+2}-a_{n+1}+a_{n}=0, \quad n \geq 1

and a1=1,a2=1a_{1}=1, a_{2}=1.

Hence, find the general solution to ()(*).