On a non-autonomous difference equation (Q2572687)

The authors try to solve two open problems posed by \textit{R. Abu-Saris} and \textit{R. DeVault} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 280, 148--154 (2003; Zbl 1022.39006)], and a third one posed by themselves in this paper. The three open problems are concerned with the convergence of all solutions of the difference equation \[ x_{n+1}=\frac{a_n x_n}{x_{n-1}},\quad n=0,1,2,\dots \] with \(a_n\neq 0\) for \(n=0,1,2,3,\dots\) and \(x_0x_{-1}\neq 0\), to zero or to a periodic solution of period six (not necessarily prime). The solutions provided in Theorems 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 do not settle the open problems completely. Indeed, they reduce the open problems, more or less, to equivalent statements about the product \[ \theta_n=\prod_{k=0}^n a_{n-k}^{w_k}\quad \text{with} \quad w_k=\frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \sin\left(\frac{(k+1)\pi}{3}\right). \] Furthermore, Theorem 5.1 is an immediate consequence of the decomposition given by Abu-Saris and De Vault [loc. cit., p. 149]. On the other hand, the authors establish an interesting result (Theorem 4.2) for the convergence to a period six cycle. The result reads: Suppose that \(\{a_n\}\) converges to one. If for each \(0\leq k\leq 2\), there is an integer \(N(k)\) so that the sequence \(\{a_{3n+k}a_{3n+k+1}\}\) is monotonic, then every solution of the above difference equation converges to a period six cycle.