Positivity of three-term recurrence sequences
The paper is concerned with sequences of real numbers \(u(n) > 0\) \((n\geq 0)\) generated by a recursion of the form \[ a(n) u(n) = b(n) u( n-1 ) - c(n) u(n-2). \] Suppose that \(\Delta (n) = b(n)^{2} - 4 a(n) c(n) \geq 0\) for \(n\geq 1\), and set \(\lambda(n) = \{ b(n) - \sqrt \{\Delta (n) \} \} / \{ 2 a(n) \}\) and define \(\Lambda(n)\) by changing the sign preceding the square root. Let \(a(n) = \alpha (n) n + \alpha (0)\), and \(b(n)\), \(c(n)\) be expressed similarly in terms of pairs \(\beta(1)\), \(\beta(0)\) and \(\gamma(1)\), \(\gamma(0)\). Now \(\lambda(\infty) = \lambda(n)\) as \(n\) increases has meaning. Denote the \(2\times 2\) determinants formed from successive rows \(x(0),x(1)\) and \(y(0),y(1)\) by \([x/y]\); set \(A = [\beta / \gamma ]\), \(B = [\gamma / \alpha] \) and \(C = [\alpha / \beta]\). The main result of the paper concerns the case in which \(B^{2} \leq A C \); if either (i) \(C\leq 0\) and \(u(1)\geq u(0)\lambda(1)\geq 0\) or (ii) \(C > 0\), \(\Lambda(1) \geq \lambda(\infty)\) and \(u(1)\geq u(0)\Lambda(1)\geq 0\) then \(u(n) \geq 0\) \((n\geq 0)\). A sequence \(u(n) \), \((n\geq 0)\) for which \(u(n)^{2} \leq \{ u(n-1) u(n+1) \}\) may be regarded as being log convex and one for which the inequality sign is reversed as being log concave. Let \(u(n)\) and \(A,B,C \) be as above and again \(B^{2} \leq A C \). If \(B < 0\), \(C > 0\), \( \{ \{ u(0) B \} + \{ u(1) C \} \} \geq 0\) and \(u(1)^{2} \leq \{ u(0) u(2) \}\) then the sequence \(u(n)\) is log convex; if subject to the transformed relationship in which all inequality signs are reversed, it is log concave. Certain integer valued sequences occurring in combinatorics only have meaning if all terms are positive. The results of this paper are of use in constructing sequences having this property. The theory also has application to special functions (e.g. Gegenbauer polynomials) which satisfy recursions of the required type. Again the number of distinct simple short step paths that connect \((0,0)\) and \((n,n)\) in the first quadrant of an integer grid satisfies an appropriate recursion, as does the number of such paths confined to a diagonal half part of such a quadrant. A comment by the author at \url{http://www.combinatorics.org/Volume\_17/Comments/v17i1r57comments.html} corrects an error, having little bearing on the substance of the present paper, in the presentation of an earlier result; there is also an error, again of little consequence, in the formulation of clause (ii) on p. 7.
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