Let uj=(j2j), j=0,1,2,…. For fixed n,j we use the abbreviation m=n−j to get f(j)=ujun−j=ujum and f(j+1)=uj+1un−j−1=uj+1um−1.
a.
Since
uj+1=j+12(2j+1)ujandum=m2(2m−1)um−1, we have
f(j)−f(j+1)=ujum−uj+1um−1=2(m2m−1−j+12j+1)uj+1um−1=2(m(j+1)(2m−1)(j+1)−(2j+1)m)uj+1um−1=2(m(j+1)m−j−1)uj+1um−1≥0,
if 0≤j<m=n−j, i.e., 0≤j<n/2. This means that f decreases steadily over the first n/2 terms and, because f(n−j)=f(j), then increases, so that
min{f(j):j=0,1,…,n}={un/22,u(n+1)/2u(n−1)/2,if n is even,if n is odd.
b.
To establish (b), note, with the same notation, that
f(j+1)+f(j−1)−2f(j)=uj+1um−1+uj−1um+1−2ujum=j+12(2j+1)uj−1um−1+uj−1m+12(2m+1)um−2ujum=j(j+1)4(4j2−1)uj−1um−1+uj−1m(m+1)4(4m2−1)um−1−j(m)8(2j−1)(2m−1)uj−1um−1=4uj−1um−1(j(j+1)(4j2−1)+m(m+1)(4m2−1)−jm2(2j−1)(2m−1))=4uj−1um−1j(j+1)m(m+1)3m2+m+3j2+j−2jm−2=4uj−1um−1j(j+1)m(m+1)(m+1)(2m−1)+(j+1)(2j−1)+(j−m)2>0.
Hence (b) holds.