Let { a n } n = 1 n = ∞ be a sequence that satisfy the recursive relation, a n + 1 = a n 2 − 2 with a 1 = 3 .
If the series
j = 1 ∑ ∞ k = 1 ∏ j a k 1 = 3 1 + 3 ⋅ 7 1 + 3 ⋅ 7 ⋅ 4 7 1 + 3 ⋅ 7 ⋅ 4 7 ⋅ 2 2 0 7 1 + ⋯
can be expressed as c a − b , where a , b , c are positive integers with b square-free, submit your answer as a + c − b .
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What we are being asked to evaluate is the sum S = N = 0 ∑ ∞ ( m = 0 ∏ N a m ) − 1 where a 0 = 3 , a 1 = 7 , a 2 = 4 7 , a 3 = 2 2 0 7 are the first few terms of the sequence ( a n ) n ≥ 0 defined by the recurrence relation a n + 1 2 = a n 2 − 2 , n ≥ 0 , a 0 = 3 It is easy to show by induction that a n = ( 2 3 + 5 ) 2 n + ( 2 3 − 5 ) 2 n n ≥ 0 and further 5 m = 0 ∏ n a m = ( 2 3 + 5 ) 2 n + 1 − ( 2 3 − 5 ) 2 n + 1 n ≥ 0 Thus we deduce that S = 5 n = 0 ∑ ∞ ( X 2 n + 1 − X − 2 n + 1 ) − 1 = 5 n = 1 ∑ ∞ ( X 2 n − X − 2 n ) − 1 = 5 [ n = 0 ∑ ∞ ( X 2 n − X − 2 n ) − 1 − X − X − 1 1 ] where X = 2 3 + 5 . Now since n = 0 ∑ ∞ ( X 2 n − X − 2 n ) − 1 = n = 0 ∑ ∞ X − 2 n ( 1 − X − 2 n + 1 ) − 1 = n = 0 ∑ ∞ X − 2 n m = 0 ∑ ∞ X − m 2 n + 1 = n , m = 0 ∑ ∞ X − ( 2 m + 1 ) 2 n = n = 1 ∑ ∞ X − n = 1 − X − 1 X − 1 = X − 1 1 and hence S = 5 [ X − 1 1 − X 2 − 1 X ] = X 2 − 1 5 = X − 1 = 2 1 ( 3 − 5 ) making the answer 2 + 3 − 5 = 0 .