A sequence {xn∣n=0,1,2,…} of real numbers is defined, as the real parameter a varies, as follows: {x0=axn+1=2−xn2 for n≥1
a. Find all values of a for which xn is constant (that is, xn=a holds for all n).
b. Prove that for one of the values found in part (a) (which we will call y) it holds that, if ∣a∣<∣y∣,∣xn∣<∣y∣ for all n.
c. Prove that, if ∣a∣>∣y∣,xn is strictly decreasing.
Solution
Solution:
a. If xn must be constant, then in particular it must hold that x1=x0=a. But then a=x1=2−x02=2−a2, so a must satisfy the equation a2+a−2=0 which has as solutions a=−2 and a=1. No other value can make the sequence constant (but a priori we do not yet know whether these actually work). Let us verify that both of these values do indeed generate a constant sequence: since the sequence is defined by recursion, at this point we will also have x2=2−x12=2−a2=a and, in the same way, x3=a and so on (we have in fact given a proof by induction, although one so immediate that it does not need the usual formalization). Therefore the required values are exactly −2 and 1.
b. Let us prove that this is true for y=−2. First of all, observe that since the square of a real number can never be negative, we will have xn≤2 for every n≥1; hence, apart from the possible exception of x0=a, all values of the sequence are smaller than 2. Suppose now that ∣a∣<∣y∣=∣−2∣=2, we prove by induction on n that ∣xn∣<2 for every n≥0. The base step is exactly the hypothesis (∣x0∣=∣a∣<2). Assuming the inequality holds for xn−1, we now prove that it also holds for xn. Indeed if ∣xn−1∣<2, evidently xn−12<4; but xn=2−xn−12 and therefore −2=2−4<2−xn−12=xn<2, that is ∣xn∣<2, which completes the proof of the inductive step. Incidentally we observe that the property does not hold instead for the other value from point a), 1: indeed for example if a=0 we have ∣a∣<1, but ∣x1∣=2−a2=2>1. One can also show that in fact −2 is the only real number that has the property indicated in the question.
c. Suppose now that ∣a∣>2; it will be more convenient to prove by induction on n the following property, which is stronger than our claim: "for every n≥0,∣xn∣>2 and xn+1<xn ". To prove the base step we must show that the inequalities hold in the case n=0. We observe that the first inequality is exactly our hypothesis, so it certainly holds; for the second, instead, let us set c0=∣a∣−2>0. Then ∣a∣=2+c0 and x1=2−a2=2−(2+c0)2=−2−2c0−c02<−(2+c0)=−∣a∣≤a=x0, so the base step is proved. The proof of the inductive step is entirely analogous. For every n≥1 suppose that the inequalities are satisfied for n−1; then we can set cn−1=∣xn−1∣−2>0 and derive as above xn=2−xn−12=−2−2cn−1−cn−12<−(2+cn−1)=−∣xn−1∣ (which shows in particular that xn<0 as soon as n≥1). Then on one hand for all n≥1 ∣xn∣=−xn>∣xn−1∣>2 that is the first inequality to be proved; on the other hand for n≥2 (that is, when we know that xn−1<0) xn<−∣xn−1∣=xn−1, while for n=1 in any case (as we have seen) xn<−∣xn−1∣≤xn−1, so the second inequality is also verified for n as well; and by induction at this point the inequalities hold for all n≥0, that is, the property is true. But as we said the property is stronger than our claim, which is therefore also proved.
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