Recursive Functions,

Iterates,
and Finite Differences
By: Jeffrey Bivin
Lake Zurich High School

jeff.bivin@lz95.org

Last Updated: May 21, 2008

 Recursive Function
A recursive function is a function whose
domain is the set of nonnegative integers
and is made up of two parts –
1. Start
2. Definition

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Example 1
a1 = 5
an = an-1 + 10
n=2 n=3 n=4
a2 = a(2-1) + 10 a3 = a (3-1) + 10 a4 = a(4-1) + 10
a2 = a1 + 10 a3 = a2 + 10 a4 = a3 + 10
a2 = 5 + 10 a3 = 15 + 10 a4 = 25 + 10
a2 = 15 a3 = 25 a4 = 35

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Example 2
f(1) = 3
f(n) = 5•f(n-1) + 2
n=2 n=3 n=4
f(2) = 5•f(2-1) + 2 f(3) = 5•f(3-1) + 2 f(4) = 5•f(4-1) + 2
f(2) = 5•f(1) + 2 f(3) = 5•f(2) + 2 f(4) = 5•f(3) + 2
f(2) = 5•3 + 2 f(3) = 5•17 + 2 f(4) = 5•87 + 2
f(2) = 17 f(3) = 87 f(4) = 437

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Example 3
f(1) = 1
f(2) = 1
f(n) = f(n-1) + f(n-2)

f(3) = f(3-1) + f(3-2) = f(2) + f(1) = 1 + 1 = 2

f(4) = f(4-1) + f(4-2) = f(3) + f(2) = 2 + 1 = 3
f(5) = f(5-1) + f(5-2) = f(4) + f(3) = 3 + 2 = 5
f(6) = f(6-1) + f(6-2) = f(5) + f(4) = 5 + 3 = 8

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Write a recursive rule
for the sequence
4, 12, 36, 108, 324, . . .
Is it Arithmetic or Geometric?

What is the pattern? multiply by 3

What is the start? a1 = 4

What is the definition? an = 3·an-1
 Write a recursive rule
for the sequence
7, 12, 17, 22, 27, . . .
Is it Arithmetic or Geometric?

What is the pattern? add 5

What is the start? a1 = 7

What is the definition? an = an-1 + 5
 Write a recursive rule
for the sequence
3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47, . . .
Is it Arithmetic or Geometric? neither

What is the pattern? 3+4 = 7, 4 + 7 = 11, 7 + 11 = 18

What is the start? a1 = 3

a2 = 4
What is the definition? an = an-2 + an-1
 Find the first three iterates of the
function for the given initial value.
f(x) = 5x + 3, x0 = 2
x1 = f(x0) = f(2) = 5(2) + 3 = 13
x2 = f(x1) = f(13) = 5(13) + 3 = 68
x3 = f(x2) = f(68) = 5(68) + 3 = 343
 Determine the degree
of the function

4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28

1st difference 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Now, write the linear model
f(1) f(2)
4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28

(1, 4) m 74
2 1  3
1 3
(2, 7) y  4  3( x  1)
y  4  3x  3
y  3x  1

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Determine the degree
of the function

-1, 0, 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, 90, 119

1st difference 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29

2nd difference 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Now write the quadratic model
f(1) f(2) f(3)
-1, 0, 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, 90, 119

f (n)  an  bn  c
2

f (1)  a(1)  b(1)  c 

2
a  b  c  1
f (2)  a(2)  b(2)  c  4a  2b  c  0
2

f (3)  a (3)  b(3)  c  9a  3b  c  5

2

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Now write the quadratic model
f(1) f(2) f(3)
-1, 0, 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, 90, 119

f (n)  an  bn  c
2

f (1)1  a
1 (1)1
2
b1(1) a=c2 a  b  c   1

f (2)4 a2(2)1
RREF
2
 0b(2)b= c-5 4a  2b  c  0
 

f (3)9  a3(3)12
5b(3)c= c2  9a  3b  c  5
f (n)  2n  5n  2
2

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Determine the degree
of the function

1, 10, 47, 130, 277, 506, 835, 1282, 1865

9, 37, 83, 147, 229, 329, 447,

1st difference
583

28, 46, 64, 82, 100, 118,

2nd difference 136

18, 18, 18, 18,

3 difference
rd
18, 18

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Now write the quadratic model
f(1) f(2) f(3) f(4)
1, 10, 47, 130, 277, 506, 835, 1282, 1865
f (n)  an 3  bn 2  cn  d
f (1)  a (1) 3  b(1) 2  c(1)  d  a  b  c  d 1
f (2)  a (2) 3  b(2) 2  c(2)  d  8a  4b  2c  d  10
f (3)  a(3) 3  b(3) 2  c(3)  d  27a  9b  3c  d  47
f ( 4)  a (4) 3  b( 4) 2  c( 4)  d  64a  16b  4c  d  130

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS

 Now write the quadratic model
f(1) f(2) f(3) f(4)
1, 10, 47, 130, 277, 506, 835, 1282, 1865
f (n)  an 3  bn 2  cn  d
f (1)  a(11) 3 1b(1)12 1c(1)1  d  a  b  c  d 1
 83 4 22 1 10 
f (2)  a (2)  b(2)  c(2)  d  8a  4b  2c  d  10
RREF 3
f (3)  a(3 27 47d  27a  9b  3c  d  47
)  b9(3) 2 3 c1(3) 
 3 
f ( 4)  a (464
)  16
b( 4) 4  1c( 4130
2
)  d  64a  16b  4c  d  130

a = 3 b = -4 c = 0 d = 2 f (n)  3n  4n  2
3 2

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS