Eventually constant solutions of a rational difference equation (Q732433)

The authors consider the rational difference equation \[ x_{n+1} = {{x_n+x_{n-1}+x_{n-2}x_{n-3}}\over{x_nx_{n-1}+x_{n-2}+x_{n-3}}}. \] The note displays the following results (with proofs): 1. Every positive solution that eventually equals 1 has one of the following forms {\parindent7mm \begin{itemize}\item[(a)] \(\{a,1,c;1,1,1,\dots\}\) \item[(b)] \(\{1,b,1,d;1,1,\dots\}\) \item[(c)] \(\{a,1,1,d;1,1,\dots\}\) \item[(d)] \(\{a,b,1,1,(2+ab)/(1+a+b);1,1,\dots\}\), \(a\neq 1\neq b\) \item[(e)] \(\{1,b,c,1,1,(2+bc)/(1+b+c);1,1,1,\dots\}\), \(b\neq 1\neq c\) \end{itemize}} where \(x_{-3}=a\), \(x_{-2}=b\), \(x_{-1}=c\), \(x_0=d\) for convenience. 2. For almost all initial values, positive solutions are not eventually equal to 1.