Inferred from the community field; finer classification has not been reviewed.
Problem statement
conjecture
The recurrence given below can be rewritten in the form
where the polynomial and the polynomial satisfies the symmetry condition and has real zeros. More generally, for fixed , we conjecture that the sequence satisfies a recurrence of the form
where the polynomials and have degree . Conjecturally, the polynomial and has real zeros in the interval [0, 1]. The zeros of the polynomial seem to belong to the interval and of these zeros appear to be approximated by the rational numbers , where , not a multiple of .
Lean 4
Formal statement
Lean 4/-
Copyright 2026 The Formal Conjectures Authors.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
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distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
-/
import FormalConjecturesUtil
/-!
# $a(n) = [x^{2n}] \left(\frac{1 + x}{1 - x}\right)^n$
The sequence is given by the combinatorial identity:
$a(n) = \sum_{k = 0}^n \binom{n}{k} \binom{2n+k-1}{n-1}$
with $a(0) = 1$.
*References:*
- [A103885](https://oeis.org/A103885)
-/
namespace OeisA103885
open Nat Finset Polynomial
open scoped BigOperators ComplexConjugate
/-- The primary defining sequence `a`.
$a(n) = [x^{2n}] \left(\frac{1 + x}{1 - x}\right)^n$, given by the combinatorial identity:
$a(n) = \sum_{k = 0}^n \binom{n}{k} \binom{2n+k-1}{n-1}$
with $a(0) = 1$. -/
def a (n : ℕ) : ℕ :=
if n = 0 then 1
else
let r : ℕ := n - 1
(range (n + 1)).sum (fun k => (n.choose k) * ((2 * n + k - 1).choose r))
/-- Term theorems verifying the first few values of the sequence against the official OEIS b-file -/
@[category test, AMS 11]
theorem a_0 : a 0 = 1 := by decide
@[category test, AMS 11]
theorem a_1 : a 1 = 2 := by decide
@[category test, AMS 11]
theorem a_2 : a 2 = 16 := by decide
@[category test, AMS 11]
theorem a_3 : a 3 = 146 := by decide
@[category test, AMS 11]
theorem a_4 : a 4 = 1408 := by decide
/-- The sequence $b(n) = a(m*n)$ lifted to ℝ -/
noncomputable def aSubsequenceReal (m n : ℕ) : ℝ :=
(a (m * n) : ℝ)
/-- The indices $k = 1$ to $2m$, used in the product -/
private def productIndices (m : ℕ) : Finset ℕ :=
Finset.Ioc 0 (2 * m)
/-- The factor $\prod_{k=1}^{2m} (2mn + k)$ -/
noncomputable def prodFactorPlus (m n : ℕ) : ℝ :=
(productIndices m).prod fun k =>
((2 * m * n : ℝ) + (k : ℝ))
/-- The factor $\prod_{k=1}^{2m} (2mn - k)$ -/
noncomputable def prodFactorMinus (m n : ℕ) : ℝ :=
(productIndices m).prod fun k =>
((2 * m * n : ℝ) - (k : ℝ))
/--
The recurrence given below can be rewritten in the form
$$(2n+1)(2n+2)P(2,n)a(n+1) - (2n-1)(2n-2)P(2,-n)a(n-1) = Q(2,n^2)a(n),$$
where the polynomial $Q(2,n) = 4(55n^2 - 34n + 3)$ and the polynomial $P(2,n) = 5n^2 - 5n + 1$
satisfies the symmetry condition $P(2,n) = P(2,1-n)$ and has real zeros.
More generally, for fixed $m = 1,2,3, \ldots$, we conjecture that the sequence $b(n) := a(mn)$
satisfies a recurrence of the form
$$( \prod_{k = 1}^{2m} (2mn + k) )P(2m,n)b(n+1) + (-1)^m( \prod_{k = 1}^{2*m} (2mn - k) )
P(2m,-n)b(n-1) = Q(2m,n^2)b(n),$$
where the polynomials $P(2m,n)$ and $Q(2m,n)$ have degree $2m$. Conjecturally, the polynomial
$P(2m,n) = P(2m,1-n)$ and has real zeros in the interval [0, 1].
The $4m$ zeros of the polynomial $Q(2m,n^2)$ seem to belong to the interval $[-1, 1]$ and
$4m - 2$ of these zeros appear to be approximated by the rational numbers
$\pm k/(3m)$, where $1 \le k \le 3m - 2$, $k$ not a multiple of $3$.
-/
@[category research open, AMS 11]
theorem conjecture (m : ℕ) (hm : 1 ≤ m) :
∃ (P Q : Polynomial ℝ),
-- P and Q have degree 2m
P.degree = (2 * m : ℕ) ∧ Q.degree = (2 * m : ℕ) ∧
-- The recurrence relation holds for all n >= 1
(∀ (n : ℕ) (hn : 1 ≤ n),
(prodFactorPlus m n * P.eval (n : ℝ)) * (aSubsequenceReal m (n + 1)) +
((-1 : ℝ) ^ m * prodFactorMinus m n * P.eval (-(n : ℝ))) * (aSubsequenceReal m (n - 1)) =
(Q.eval ((n : ℝ)^2)) * (aSubsequenceReal m n)) ∧
-- P symmetry: P(x) = P(1-x)
(∀ x : ℝ, P.eval x = P.eval (1 - x)) ∧
-- P has real zeros in [0, 1]: all complex zeros are real and in [0, 1]
(∀ z : ℂ, (P.map (algebraMap ℝ ℂ)).eval z = 0 → z.im = 0 ∧ z.re ∈ (Set.Icc 0 1)) ∧
-- Q zero properties: The zeros of Q(x^2) are real and in [-1, 1].
(∀ z : ℂ, (Q.map (algebraMap ℝ ℂ)).eval (z^2) = 0 → z.im = 0 ∧ z.re ∈ (Set.Icc (-1) 1)) := by
sorry
end OeisA103885
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Background
Source snapshot inspected on 10 September 2026. Subsequent research status and the accuracy of source formalizations have not been independently certified.
Fixed commit b82b08faa9006484021c12005ab41287fb2ffb69. This file contains 1 source-labeled research-open declarations. Other declarations in the attached file can be definitions, solved results or tests. The file is preserved as source material; it has not been compiled or proved by this import.
Copyright The Formal Conjectures Authors. Code: Apache-2.0; other original material: CC BY 4.0. Third-party sources retain their own licenses. Original source files and notices preserved.
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