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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Find the answer

Let a0,a1,a2,a_{0}, a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots be a sequence of real numbers defined by a0=21,a1=35a_{0}=21, a_{1}=35, and an+2=4an+14an+n2a_{n+2}=4 a_{n+1}-4 a_{n}+n^{2} for n2n \geq 2. Compute the remainder obtained when a2006a_{2006} is divided by 100.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

No pattern is evident in the first few terms, so we look for a formula for ana_{n}. If we write an=An2+Bn+C+bna_{n}=A n^{2}+B n+C+b_{n} and put bn+2=4bn+14bnb_{n+2}=4 b_{n+1}-4 b_{n}. Rewriting the original recurrence, we find An2+(4A+B)n+(4A+2B+C)+bn+2=4(An2+(2A+B)n+(A+B+C)+bn+1)4(An2+Bn+C+bn)+n2=n2+8An+(4A+4B)+4bn+14bn\begin{aligned} A n^{2}+(4 A+B) n+(4 A+2 B+C)+b_{n+2} & \\ =4\left(A n^{2}+(2 A+B) n+(A+B+C)\right. & \left.+b_{n+1}\right)-4\left(A n^{2}+B n+C+b_{n}\right)+n^{2} \\ & =n^{2}+8 A n+(4 A+4 B)+4 b_{n+1}-4 b_{n} \end{aligned} Solving, A=1,B=4,C=8A=1, B=4, C=8. With this information, we can solve for b0=1b_{0}=1 and b1=6b_{1}=6. Since the characteristic equation of the recurrence of the bib_{i} is x24x+4=x^{2}-4 x+4= (x2)2=0(x-2)^{2}=0, we have bn=(Dn+E)2nb_{n}=(D n+E) \cdot 2^{n} for some constants DD and EE. Using the known values b0b_{0} and b1b_{1}, we compute D=2D=2 and E=1E=1, and finally an=n2+4n+8+(2n+1)2na_{n}=n^{2}+4 n+8+(2 n+1) \cdot 2^{n} Now, taking modulo 100, we have a200662+46+8+1322006(mod100)a_{2006} \equiv 6^{2}+4 \cdot 6+8+13 \cdot 2^{2006}(\bmod 100). Evidently 220060(mod4)2^{2006} \equiv 0(\bmod 4), but by Euler's theorem 2ϕ(25)2201(mod25)2^{\phi(25)} \equiv 2^{20} \equiv 1(\bmod 25), and so 220062^{2006} \equiv 2614(mod25)2^{6} \equiv 14(\bmod 25). Now the Chinese remainder theorem yields 2200664(mod100)2^{2006} \equiv 64(\bmod 100), and we compute a200636+24+8+13640(mod100)a_{2006} \equiv 36+24+8+13 \cdot 64 \equiv 0(\bmod 100).

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Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.