A generalized solution expression for linear homogeneous constant-coefficient difference equations (Q1912543)

The authors present a new and general method giving a solution expression of the \(N\)-th order linear homogeneous difference equation with constant coefficients \((*)\) \(y[k+N ]+ a_{N-1} y[ k+N -1]+ \dots+ a_1 y[ k+1 ]+a_0 y[ k] =0\), \(N>0\), \(k=0, 1, 2, \dots\), having initial conditions \(y[ m]= y_m\), \(m=0, 1, 2, \dots, N-1\), and (constant) coefficients \(a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{N-1}\). The general solution of \((*)\) can be expressed as a linear combination of the solutions of a finite number of subproblems of the form \((E- \lambda)^\mu w[ k]= 0\), \(\mu> 0\), \(k=0, 1, 2, \dots\), where \(\mu\) denotes the multiplicity of the characteristic root \(\lambda\) and \(Ey[ k]\equiv y[k+ 1]\). It is shown that both the classical solution expression and Johnson's ``singular solution'' expression for the case of repeated zero roots, are special cases of their more general solution expression. Finally, an example illustrating the interrelationships among the different solution expressions as well as the solution obtained by their method is given.