Solving order 3 difference equations (Q7030679)

In this paper the authors generalize the concepts of Liouvillian sequences and Liouville solutions of difference operators introduced in [\textit{P. A. Hendriks} and \textit{M. F. Singer}, J. Symb. Comput. 27, No. 3, 239--259 (1999; Zbl 0930.39004)] to the case of order \(2\) difference operators in \(F[\Phi, \Phi^{-1}]\) over the inversive ordinary difference field \((F, \phi) = (\mathbb{C}(x), \phi:x\mapsto x+1)\) (\(\Phi\circ f = \phi(f)\circ \Phi\) for any \(f\in\mathbb{C}(x)\)) and define \(2\)-expressible sequences in a similar way to the Eulerian solutions considered in [\textit{M. F. Singer}, Am. J. Math. 107, 663--696 (1985; Zbl 0564.12022)]. Similar to how Hendriks and Singer classified difference operators with Liouvillian solutions in the above mentioned paper, the paper under review classifies operators with \(2\)-expressible solutions. Furthermore, the authors introduce the concept of absolute irreducibility for difference modules, study its properties and classify difference modules of arbitrary dimension that are irreducible but not absolutely irreducible. Using the obtained results, the authors classify order \(3\) linear difference operators over \(\mathbb{C}(x)\) that are solvable in terms of lower order difference operators.