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Nick S
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Too long for a comment.

If you are restricting to $n$ being an integer, unless I made a mistake, the problem can be rephrased as Let $$a_{n+1}=4a_n+a_{n-1} \\ a_1=1 \\ a_0=\frac{1}{2}$$$$a_{n+1}=4a_n-a_{n-1} \\ a_1=1 \\ a_0=\frac{1}{2}$$

Then, show that $\lfloor a_n \rfloor$ is prime implies that $n$ is prime.

Here are some notes, I didn't check the details so there may be many mistakes.

Note 1: I think that $a_{2n} \in \mathbb Z +\frac{1}{2}$ and $a_{2n+1} \in \mathbb Z$. This implies that $$ \lfloor a_{2n} \rfloor = a_{2n}-\frac{1}{2} \\ \lfloor a_{2n+1} \rfloor = a_{2n+1} $$

This suggests splitting the problem into odd and even $n$.

Note 2: The odd $n's$. Let $$ b_n=a_{2n+1}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}+(2+\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})(7-4\sqrt{3})^{n}+(2+\sqrt{3})(7+4\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4} $$ I think that this is the solution to the recurrence $$ b_{n+1}=14b_n+b_{n-1} \\ b_{1}= \mbox{something} \\ b_0=\mbox{something} $$$$ b_{n+1}=14b_n-b_{n-1} \\ b_{1}= \mbox{something} \\ b_0=\mbox{something} $$

The problem then becomes

Question A Show that $b_{n}$ prime implies that $2n+1$ is prime.

Similarly, $$c_{n}=a_{2n}$$ is the solution to the same recurrence, with different innitial condition.

Setting $$ d_{n}=c_n-\frac{1}{2} $$ we get $$ c_{n}=d_n+\frac{1}{2} $$ and hence the recurrence becomes $$ c_{n+1}=14c_n+c_{n-1} \Rightarrow d_{n+1}=14d_n+d_{n-1}+7 $$$$ c_{n+1}=14c_n-c_{n-1} \Rightarrow d_{n+1}=14d_n-d_{n-1}+6 $$ and the question becomes:

Question B: show that $d_n$ is not prime for $n \geq 2$.

There are some techniques of solving such problems for recurrences, so these comments could help or could be totally useless.

ANd keep in mind that there may be mistakes above.

Too long for a comment.

If you are restricting to $n$ being an integer, unless I made a mistake, the problem can be rephrased as Let $$a_{n+1}=4a_n+a_{n-1} \\ a_1=1 \\ a_0=\frac{1}{2}$$

Then, show that $\lfloor a_n \rfloor$ is prime implies that $n$ is prime.

Here are some notes, I didn't check the details so there may be many mistakes.

Note 1: I think that $a_{2n} \in \mathbb Z +\frac{1}{2}$ and $a_{2n+1} \in \mathbb Z$. This implies that $$ \lfloor a_{2n} \rfloor = a_{2n}-\frac{1}{2} \\ \lfloor a_{2n+1} \rfloor = a_{2n+1} $$

This suggests splitting the problem into odd and even $n$.

Note 2: The odd $n's$. Let $$ b_n=a_{2n+1}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}+(2+\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})(7-4\sqrt{3})^{n}+(2+\sqrt{3})(7+4\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4} $$ I think that this is the solution to the recurrence $$ b_{n+1}=14b_n+b_{n-1} \\ b_{1}= \mbox{something} \\ b_0=\mbox{something} $$

The problem then becomes

Question A Show that $b_{n}$ prime implies that $2n+1$ is prime.

Similarly, $$c_{n}=a_{2n}$$ is the solution to the same recurrence, with different innitial condition.

Setting $$ d_{n}=c_n-\frac{1}{2} $$ we get $$ c_{n}=d_n+\frac{1}{2} $$ and hence the recurrence becomes $$ c_{n+1}=14c_n+c_{n-1} \Rightarrow d_{n+1}=14d_n+d_{n-1}+7 $$ and the question becomes:

Question B: show that $d_n$ is not prime for $n \geq 2$.

There are some techniques of solving such problems for recurrences, so these comments could help or could be totally useless.

ANd keep in mind that there may be mistakes above.

Too long for a comment.

If you are restricting to $n$ being an integer, unless I made a mistake, the problem can be rephrased as Let $$a_{n+1}=4a_n-a_{n-1} \\ a_1=1 \\ a_0=\frac{1}{2}$$

Then, show that $\lfloor a_n \rfloor$ is prime implies that $n$ is prime.

Here are some notes, I didn't check the details so there may be many mistakes.

Note 1: I think that $a_{2n} \in \mathbb Z +\frac{1}{2}$ and $a_{2n+1} \in \mathbb Z$. This implies that $$ \lfloor a_{2n} \rfloor = a_{2n}-\frac{1}{2} \\ \lfloor a_{2n+1} \rfloor = a_{2n+1} $$

This suggests splitting the problem into odd and even $n$.

Note 2: The odd $n's$. Let $$ b_n=a_{2n+1}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}+(2+\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})(7-4\sqrt{3})^{n}+(2+\sqrt{3})(7+4\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4} $$ I think that this is the solution to the recurrence $$ b_{n+1}=14b_n-b_{n-1} \\ b_{1}= \mbox{something} \\ b_0=\mbox{something} $$

The problem then becomes

Question A Show that $b_{n}$ prime implies that $2n+1$ is prime.

Similarly, $$c_{n}=a_{2n}$$ is the solution to the same recurrence, with different innitial condition.

Setting $$ d_{n}=c_n-\frac{1}{2} $$ we get $$ c_{n}=d_n+\frac{1}{2} $$ and hence the recurrence becomes $$ c_{n+1}=14c_n-c_{n-1} \Rightarrow d_{n+1}=14d_n-d_{n-1}+6 $$ and the question becomes:

Question B: show that $d_n$ is not prime for $n \geq 2$.

There are some techniques of solving such problems for recurrences, so these comments could help or could be totally useless.

ANd keep in mind that there may be mistakes above.

Source Link
Nick S
  • 2.2k
  • 17
  • 28

Too long for a comment.

If you are restricting to $n$ being an integer, unless I made a mistake, the problem can be rephrased as Let $$a_{n+1}=4a_n+a_{n-1} \\ a_1=1 \\ a_0=\frac{1}{2}$$

Then, show that $\lfloor a_n \rfloor$ is prime implies that $n$ is prime.

Here are some notes, I didn't check the details so there may be many mistakes.

Note 1: I think that $a_{2n} \in \mathbb Z +\frac{1}{2}$ and $a_{2n+1} \in \mathbb Z$. This implies that $$ \lfloor a_{2n} \rfloor = a_{2n}-\frac{1}{2} \\ \lfloor a_{2n+1} \rfloor = a_{2n+1} $$

This suggests splitting the problem into odd and even $n$.

Note 2: The odd $n's$. Let $$ b_n=a_{2n+1}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}+(2+\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4}=\frac{(2-\sqrt{3})(7-4\sqrt{3})^{n}+(2+\sqrt{3})(7+4\sqrt{3})^{2n+1}}{4} $$ I think that this is the solution to the recurrence $$ b_{n+1}=14b_n+b_{n-1} \\ b_{1}= \mbox{something} \\ b_0=\mbox{something} $$

The problem then becomes

Question A Show that $b_{n}$ prime implies that $2n+1$ is prime.

Similarly, $$c_{n}=a_{2n}$$ is the solution to the same recurrence, with different innitial condition.

Setting $$ d_{n}=c_n-\frac{1}{2} $$ we get $$ c_{n}=d_n+\frac{1}{2} $$ and hence the recurrence becomes $$ c_{n+1}=14c_n+c_{n-1} \Rightarrow d_{n+1}=14d_n+d_{n-1}+7 $$ and the question becomes:

Question B: show that $d_n$ is not prime for $n \geq 2$.

There are some techniques of solving such problems for recurrences, so these comments could help or could be totally useless.

ANd keep in mind that there may be mistakes above.