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Square Pisano, Get Sequence? (Posted on 2007-03-14) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Let S1=S2=1, S3=4, and Sn+3= 2Sn+2+2Sn+1-Sn for n≥1.

Is Sp always a perfect square?

  Submitted by K Sengupta    
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Solution: (Hide)
At the outset, we observe that S_1 = S_2 = 1^2; S_3 = 2^2; S_4 = 3^2; S_5 = 5^2; S_6 = 8^2, and so on.

This leads one to conjecture that S_n = F_n^2, where F_n is the nth term of the Fibonacci Sequence defined by F_1 = F_2 = 1 and:
F_(n+1) = F_n + F(n-1) for all n>=2.
Suppose this is true for p<= (n+2). We shall prove that this result also holds for p= n+3

Now, S_(n+3)
= 2S_(n+2) + 2S_(n+1) - Sn
= 2*F_(n+2)^2 + 2*F_(n+1)^2 - F_n^2
= 2*F_(n+2)^2 + 2*F_(n+1)^2 - (F_(n+2)^2 - F_(n+1)^2
= F_(n+1)^2 + F_(n+2)^2 + 2*F_(n+1)*F_(n+2)
= (F_(n+1) + F_(n+2))^2
= F_(n+3)^2

Consequently, S_p is a perfect square for all p.

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NOTE : The famous Italian Mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci who enuciated the Fibonacci sequence was also known as Leonardo Pisano.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)
  Subject Author Date
SolutionProofOld Original Oskar!2007-03-14 14:49:54
SolutionsolutionCharlie2007-03-14 14:15:31
correctionDennis2007-03-14 14:08:19
Hints/Tipssome thoughtsDennis2007-03-14 13:58:41
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