recursive relation on derangement of objects

28 Views Asked by At

Let $a_{n}$ represent the number of derangements of $n$ objects . If $a_{n+2}=p a_{n+1}+q a_{n}\;\forall n\in\mathbb{N}$ then what is $\displaystyle \frac{q}{p}$?

What I have tried:

I have used $$ a_{n}=n!\bigg[1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^n\frac{1}{n!}\bigg],$$ $$ a_{n+1}=n!\bigg[1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^{n+1}\frac{1}{(n+1)!}\bigg],$$ $$ a_{n+2}=n!\bigg[1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^{n+2}\frac{1}{(n+2)!}\bigg],$$

and comparing coefficients but it is very lengthy.

Please help me to solve it using less complex way

1

There are 1 best solutions below

2
On BEST ANSWER

The question implicitly seems to assume that there exist $p$ and $q$ that satisfy this relation for all $n$. Then in particular they must satisfy it for $n=1$ and $n=2$. This gives you two linear equations in $p$ and $q$ that are easily solved: For $n=1$ and $n=2$ you get $$2=1\cdot p+0\cdot q\qquad\text{ and }\qquad 9=2p+q,$$ so $p=2$ and $q=5$. However, plugging in $n=3$ shows that $$44\neq 2\cdot9+5\cdot2,$$ so the premise of the question is false.

If $p$ and $q$ are allowed to depend on $n$, the question remains ill-posed; for $n=2$ the relation $$9=2p+q,$$ holds for $(p,q)\in\{(0,9),(1,7),(2,5),(3,3),(4,1)\}$ each yielding different values for $\frac{p}{q}$.


The solution that whomever gave you the question may have had in mind is the following: As $$a_{n}=n!\left(1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^n\frac{1}{n!}\right)=n!\sum_{k=0}^n\frac{(-1)^k}{k!},$$ for all $n\in\Bbb{N}$, it follows that \begin{eqnarray*} a_{n+1} &=&(n+1)!\left(1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^n\frac{1}{(n+1)!}\right) &=&(n+1)!\sum_{k=0}^{n+1}\frac{(-1)^k}{k!},\\ &=&(n+1)\cdot n!\left(1-\frac{1}{1!}+\frac{1}{2!}+\cdots +(-1)^n\frac{1}{(n+1)!}\right) &=&(n+1)\cdot n!\sum_{k=0}^{n+1}\frac{(-1)^k}{k!}\\ &=&(n+1)\cdot\left(a_n+n!\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{(n+1)!}\right) =(n+1)a_n+(-1)^{n+1}. \end{eqnarray*} We can use this identity twice to express $a_{n+2}$ in terms of $a_n$ and $a_{n+1}$ as follows \begin{eqnarray*} a_{n+2} &=&(n+2)a_{n+1}+(-1)^{n+2}\\ &=&(n+1)a_{n+1}+(-1)^{n+2}+a_{n+1}\\ &=&(n+1)a_{n+1}-(-1)^{n+1}+(n+1)a_n+(-1)^{n+1}\\ &=&(n+1)(a_{n+1}+a_n), \end{eqnarray*} so in deed $p=q=n+1$ is a valid solution, though just one of many.