Explicit bounds for second-order difference equations and a solution to a question of Stević (Q1771374)

The authors obtain explicit bounds for the solutions of the second order difference equation \[ b_i=(2+g(i-1))\, b_{i-1}-(1+h(i-1))\,b_{i-2} \quad\text{for }i \geq 2, \] and provide sharp inequalities for \(\{b_i\}\) in terms of the sequences \(\{g(i)\}\) and \(\{h(i)\}\), and the initial values \(b_0\) and \(b_1\). The main result solves partially a question of \textit{S. Stević} [ANZIAM J. 46, 157--170 (2004; Zbl 1061.39007)] concerning to the asymptotic behavior of the particular case of \(g(i)=c/i^2\) for some nonnegative constant \(c\).