Coming up with recursive and closed form expressions

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on deriving recursive and closed form expressions for various sequences, specifically Cn, Dn, and a modified Fibonacci sequence Qn. The recursive formula for Cn is established as C(n) = C(n-1)/3 with the initial term C0 = 1/4. For Dn, the recursive relation is D(n) = n*D(n-1) starting from D0 = 1. The closed form for the sequence (1/3, 4/5, 7/7, 10/9, 13/11) is expressed as ?/2n+1, while Qn is defined as F(n+1)/Fn, where F represents Fibonacci numbers.

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  • Understanding of recursive sequences and their definitions.
  • Familiarity with closed form expressions in mathematics.
  • Knowledge of the Fibonacci sequence and its properties.
  • Basic algebraic manipulation skills.
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KevinL
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Homework Statement



I am having some trouble coming up with recursive and closed form expressions of different sequences. I realize helping me with this would pretty much just be giving me the answer, but if anyone could also help me with how to think of the answers that would be nice.

1) Cn = (1/4, 1/12, 1/36, 1/108)

CF: ?
R: C(n-1)/3

2) Dn = (1, 2, 6, 24, 120)

CF: ?
R: n*D(n-1)

3) I only need the closed form for this. (1/3, 4/5, 7/7, 10/9, 13/11)

CF: ?/2n+1

4) Let (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8) be the Fibonacci sequence. Define a new sequence by Qn = F(n+1)/Fn

a. List the first several terms of Qn
(1, 2, 3/2, 5/3, 8/5)

b. Find a recusive formula for Qn

?
 
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Let's start with the first one. You correctly noticed that the sequence is given by a recursion relation
C_0 = 1/4, C_n = C_{n - 1} / 3
(note how I wrote down explicitly what C_{n-1}/3 gives you by using an equality sign, and that I have included the first term which you need to calculate anything using the recursion relation).

Now make a few steps in your mind. If you want to calculate the second term in the series, you have to take the first one, 1/4, and divide it by 3. To go to the third, take the second, (1/4)/3 = 1/12, and divide it by 3. Now how can I go directly from the first term, 1/4, to the third one, 1/36?
Suppose that I want to go from the first one to the fifth...
 

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