Algebra 2.

5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2024

Recursive Sequences

1 Problem Set 15
an+2
Problem 1: If a1 = 1, a2 = 0, and an+1 = an + 2 for all n ≥ 1, compute a2004 .
 √ 6  √ 6
−1+i 3 −1−i 3
Problem 2: Simplify 2 + 2 to the form a + bi.

√
5)/2. Compute the exact value of x8 + 1/x8 .

h
Problem 3: Let x = (3 −
√ √ !n √ √ !n
5+3 5 1+ 5 5−3 5 1− 5

at
Problem 4: Let f (n) = + . Then f (n + 1) − f (n − 1),
10 2 10 2
expressed in terms of f (n), equals which of the following?
1
(A) f (n) (B) f (n) (C) 2f (n) + 1 (D) f 2 (n) (E) 12 (f 2 (n) − 1)
2

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Problem 5: The sequence {an } is defined by a0 = 1, a1 = 1, and an = an−1 +
The sequence {bn } is defined by b0 = 1, b1 = 3, and bn = bn−1 +
b2n−1
bn−2

Problem 6: A sequence of numbers is defined recusively by a1 = 1, a2 = 37 , and

for n ≥ 2.
a2n−1
an−2 for

Find ab32
32
.
n ≥ 2.
om
an−2 · an−1
an =
2an−2 − an−1

for all n ≥ 3. Then a2019 can be written as pq , where p and q are relatively prime positive integers.
What is p + q?

Problem 7: If x2 + x + 1 = 0, compute the numerical value of

es

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
       
2 3 27
x+ + x + 2 + x + 3 + · · · + x + 27 .
x x x x
Aw

π π
Problem 8: Compute the remainder when cot1997 + tan1997 is divided by 9.
12 12

Problem 9: Find ax5 + by 5 if the real numbers a, b, x, and y satisfy the equations

ax + by = 3,
ax2 + by 2 = 7,
ax3 + by 3 = 16,
ax4 + by 4 = 42.

Problem 10: Find the units digit of the decimal expansion of

√ √
(15 + 220)19 + (15 + 220)82 .

1
Algebra 2.5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2024
Problem 11: A sequence of real numbers {an }∞
n=1 (n = 1, 2, . . . ) has the following property:

6an + 5an−2 = 20 + 11an−1 (for n ≥ 3).

The first two elements are a1 = 0, a2 = 1. Find the integer closest to a2011 .

Problem 12: Let m be a positive integer, and let a0 , a1 , . . . , am be a sequence of real numbers
such that a0 = 37, a1 = 72, am = 0, and
3
ak+1 = ak−1 −
ak

h
for k = 1, 2, . . . , m − 1. Find m.
√
Problem 13: Let a1 = 1 + 2 and for each n ≥ 1 define an+1 = 2 − a1n . Find the greatest integer

at
less than or equal to the product a1 a2 a3 · · · a200 .

Problem 14: A sequence is defined as follows a1 = a2 = a3 = 1, and, for all positive integers
n, an+3 = an+2 + an+1 + an . Given that a28 = 6090307, a29 = 11201821, and a30 = 20603361, find

the remainder when

28
X
ak is divided by 1000.
k=1
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Problem 15: The sequence (an ) satisfies a0 = 0 and an+1 = 58 an +
the greatest integer less than or equal to a10 .
6
5
p
4n − a2n for n ≥ 0. Find
om
Problem 16: The sequence a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . of real numbers satisfies the recurrence

a2n − an−1 + 2an

an+1 = .
an−1 + 1

Given that a1 = 1 and a9 = 7, find a5 .

es

Problem 17: A sequence of real numbers xn is defined recursively as follows: x0 , x1 are arbitrary
positive real numbers, and
1 + xn+1
xn+2 = , n = 0, 1, 2, . . .
xn
Aw

Find x1998 .

Problem 18: Define a sequence recursively by t1 = 20, t2 = 21, and

5tn−1 + 1
tn =
25tn−2

for all n ≥ 3. Then t2020 can be written as pq , where p and q are relatively prime positive integers.
Find p + q.

na2n−1
Problem 19: Define the sequence ai as follows: a1 = 1, a2 = 2015, and an = an−1 +nan−2 for
n > 2. What is the least k such that ak < ak−1 ?

2
Algebra 2.5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2024
Problem 20: Given two sequences xn and yn defined by x0 = y0 = 7,

xn = 4xn−1 + 3yn−1 , and

yn = 3yn−1 + 2xn−1 ,
xn
find limn→∞ yn .

Problem 21: Let a0 = −2, b0 = 1, and for n ≥ 0, let

p
an+1 = an + bn + a2n + b2n ,
p
bn+1 = an + bn − a2n + b2n .

h
Find a2012 .

Problem 22: Let (xn )n≥0 be a sequence of nonzero real numbers such that x2n − xn−1 xn+1 = 1

at
for n = 1, 2, 3, . . . . Prove there exists a real number a such that xn+1 = axn − xn−1 for all n ≥ 1.

Problem 23: Find the digits left and right of the decimal point in the decimal form of the number
√ √
( 2 + 3)1980 .

Problem
 1788 
a
25:
 1988
and a
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√
Problem 24: Show that the integer next above ( 3 + 1)2n is divisible by 2n+1 .

Let a be the greatest positive root of the equation x3 − 3 · x2 + 1 = 0. Show that

are both divisible by 17. Here [x] denotes the integer part of x.

Problem 26: Find all integers n ≥ 3 for which there exist real numbers a1 , a2 , . . . an+2 satisfying
om
an+1 = a1 , an+2 = a2 and
ai ai+1 + 1 = ai+2 ,
for i = 1, 2, . . . , n.

Problem 27: Let the sequence {an }n≥1 be defined by a1 = 20, a2 = 30 and an+2 = 3an+1 − an
for all n ≥ 1. Find all positive integers n such that 1 + 5an an+1 is a perfect square.
es

Problem 28: The sequence {an }n≥0 of real numbers satisfies the relation:
1
am+n + am−n − m + n − 1 = (a2m + a2n )
2
Aw

for all non-negative integers m and n, m ≥ n. If a1 = 3 find a2004 .

Problem 29: An integer sequence is defined by

an = 2an−1 + an−2 , (n > 1), a0 = 0, a1 = 1.

Prove that 2k divides an if and only if 2k divides n.

Problem 30: Let Q0 (x) = 1, Q1 (x) = x, and

(Qn−1 (x))2 − 1
Qn (x) =
Qn−2 (x)
for all n ≥ 2. Show that, whenever n is a positive integer, Qn (x) is equal to a polynomial with
integer coefficients.