We define a sequence by a1=850 and an+1=an−1an2 for n≥1. Determine all values of n for which ⌊an⌋=2024.
Solution
The only value that satisfies is n=1175.
First, we note that we can rewrite the recursion as an+1=an−1an2−1+1=an−1an2−1+an−11=an+1+an−11.(1) Since the difference of an+1−an>1, there is at most one n that satisfies. Now we are going to show that n=1175 does indeed satisfy. First, the above gives that a1175=a1+1174+a1−11+a2−11+⋯+a1174−11>850+1174=2024. More generally, it follows from (1) that an≥849+n. From this we deduce that a1−11+⋯+a1174−11≤8491+8501+⋯+20221<51⋅8491+100⋅9001+200⋅10001+400⋅12001+400⋅16001+23⋅20001=28317+91+51+31+41+200023=28317+18020+36+60+45+200023<18011+180161+1803<1. Using this, we conclude that indeed a1175≤ 850 + 1174 + 8491+8501+⋯+20221 < 2024 + 1. □
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