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Recurrences and generating functions

Solving recurrence relations, and encoding a sequence as a power series.

A recurrence defines aₙ from earlier terms; a generating function Σ aₙ xⁿ packs the whole sequence into one function whose algebra does the counting. Picture it: the Fibonacci numbers growing by the golden ratio each step. Think it: linear recurrences with constant coefficients are solved exactly like constant-coefficient differential equations — a characteristic polynomial.

Arbejdstxrd eksempel: fib(25)

Number-Theory · Sequences

Fib(25)

25

Trin for trin

  1. F_0 = 0,; F_1 = 1

    Each Fibonacci number is the sum of the two before it.

  2. F_{2} = F_{1} + F_{0} = 1

  3. F_{3} = F_{2} + F_{1} = 2

  4. F_{4} = F_{3} + F_{2} = 3

  5. F_{5} = F_{4} + F_{3} = 5

  6. F_{6} = F_{5} + F_{4} = 8

  7. F_{7} = F_{6} + F_{5} = 13

  8. F_{8} = F_{7} + F_{6} = 21

  9. \vdots

  10. F_{24} = F_{23} + F_{22} = 46368

  11. F_{25} = F_{24} + F_{23} = 75025

Afslør svaret
F_{25} = 75025

Symbols used here

n!
factorial
n × (n−1) × … × 1; the number of orderings of n things. 0! = 1.
\binom{n}{k}
binomial coefficient, "n choose k"
Number of k-element subsets of n things: n!/(k!(n−k)!).
\sum_{k=1}^{n} a_k
summation
Add a_k for k = 1 up to n.
\prod_{k=1}^{n} a_k
product
Multiply a_k for k = 1 up to n.
\emptyset,\ |A|
empty set, cardinality
The set with no elements; the number of elements of A.

How to: Recurrences and generating functions

  1. Each Fibonacci number is the sum of the two before it.

Questions people ask

Permutation or combination?

Ask whether order matters. A lock code is a permutation (order matters); a hand of cards is a combination (it does not).

What is a graph in this sense?

Dots (vertices) joined by lines (edges) — not a plot. Road maps, social networks and molecules are graphs; questions like "is there a route" and "how few colours" are graph theory.

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