To appear in

Dynamics of Continuous, Discrete and Impulsive Systems

http:monotone.uwaterloo.ca/journal

On some systems of difference equations with periodic

solutions

Kenneth S. Berenhaut
Department of Mathematics
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106

Abstract. This short note provides a simple proof of a generalization of some results given in
B. D. Iri
canin, and S. Stevi
c, Some systems of nonlinear difference equations of higher order
with periodic solutions. Dyn. Contin. Discrete Impuls. Syst. Ser. A Math. Anal. 13 (2006),
no. 3-4, 499507.
Keywords. System of difference equations, periodicity, positive solution.
AMS (MOS) subject classification: 39A20.

1 Introduction
In [5], the authors consider systems of difference equations arising from inter-
lacing well defined periodic solutions of some rational equations. Among similar
results they prove that every positive solution of the system
(2) (3) (1)
1 + xn1 1 + xn1 1 + xn1
x(1)
n = (3)
, x(2)
n = (4)
, . . . , x(k)
n = (2)
, n 1, (1)
xn2 xn2 xn2

where k N is fixed, is periodic with period equal to 5k if k 6= 0 mod 5, and

with period k if k = 0 mod 5.
It is also shown in [5] that every positive solution of the system of equations
(2) (3) (3) (4)
1 + xn1 + xn2 1 + xn1 + xn2
x(1)
n = (4)
, x(2)
n = (5)
, ... ,
xn3 xn3
(1) (2)
1 + xn1 + xn2
x(k)
n = (3)
, n 1, (2)
xn3

is periodic with period 23i k if gcd(k, 8) = 2i , i {0, 1, 2, 3}. These results

generalize the well known periodicity of the associated scalar equations.
Here we give a generalization of these results thereby removing some of the
complexities in [5].
For some further recent work on dynamics of solutions to systems of nonlinear
difference equations see [1][7], and the references therein.
2 K. S. Berenhaut

2 Main Theorem
We prove the following theorem.

Theorem 1 Suppose that every well-defined solution of the difference equation

yn = f (yn1 , yn2 , , ynv ) (3)

is periodic with period p where f : S v S for some set S and v 1. Then,

every well-defined solution of the system

(
2) (
3) (]
v +1)
x(1)
n = f (xn1 , xn2 , . . . , xnv ),
(
3) (
4) (]
v +2)
x(2)
n = f (xn1 , xn2 , . . . , xnv ),
...
(
1) (
2) (e
v)
x(k)
n = f (xn1 , xn2 , . . . , xnv ), n 1, (4)

where for i 1, ei is the unique integer 1 ei k such that i = ei mod k, is

periodic with period lcm(k, p).

Proof. Set Q = lcm(k, p), and for 1 i k, consider the sequence of values
e (]
i+1) (]
i+2) ]
(i+Q)
{xn(i) , xn1 , xn2 , . . . , xnQ } (5)

for some n > Q. Note that this sequence is periodic with period p, by assump-
]
(i+Q) (e
i)
tions behind (3) and (4). Since k|Q, i^
+ Q = i and since p|Q, xnQ = xn .
Hence, we have
(i) ]
(i+Q) e
xnQ = xnQ = xn(i) = x(i)
n (6)

and the result follows.

The proof of Theorem 1 is well illustrated with a simple example.
Example. Suppose k = 3 and p = 2. We then have the scenario in Table 2,
where {wi }, {yi } and {zi } each satisfy (3). Since wn6 = wn , yn6 = yn and
zn6 = zn , xn = (wn , yn , zn ) = (wn6 , yn6 , zn6 ) = xn6 , and {xn } is seen to
be periodic with period lcm(2, 3) = 6.

Table 1: Example for k = 3, p = 2

xn xn1 xn2 xn3 xn4 xn5 xn6

(1)
xn = wn zn1 yn2 wn3 zn4 yn5 wn6
(2)
xn = yn wn1 zn2 yn3 wn4 zn5 yn6
(3)
xn = zn yn1 wn2 zn3 yn4 wn5 zn6
 Some systems of difference equations with periodic solutions 3

Similarly, for k = 5 and p = 10, we have the results in Table 2. Where now,
every solution is periodic with period lcm(5, 10) = 10.

Table 2: Example for k = 5, p = 10

xn xn1 xn2 xn3 xn4 xn5 xn6 xn7 xn8 xn9 xn10
(1)
xn = un zn1 yn2 wn3 vn4 un5 zn6 yn7 wn8 vn9 un10
(2)
xn = vn un1 zn2 yn3 wn4 vn5 un6 zn7 yn8 wn9 vn10
(3)
xn = wn vn1 un2 zn3 yn4 wn5 vn6 un7 zn8 yn9 wn10
(4)
xn = yn wn1 vn2 un3 zn4 yn5 wn6 vn7 un8 zn9 yn10
(5)
xn = zn yn1 wn2 vn3 un4 zn5 yn6 wn7 vn8 un9 zn10

Remark. Note that all well defined solutions of the difference equation
1 + yn1
yn = (7)
yn2

are periodic with period five (c.f. the references in [5]). Hence setting v = 2,
p = 5 and f (a, b) = (1 + a)/b, and noting that

5k, 5 - k
lcm(k, 5) = , (8)
k, otherwise

the result proven in [5], regarding (1), follows from Theorem 1. Similarly, noting
that all well defined solutions of the difference equation
1 + yn1 + yn2
yn = (9)
yn3

are periodic with period eight, and that lcm(k, 8) = 23i k if gcd(k, 8) = 2i ,
i {0, 1, 2, 3}, the result mentioned above for solutions to (2) also follows from
Theorem 1.
One further example of an equation to which Theorem 1 could be applied,
in a similar manner, is that defined by
yn1 yn3
yn = (10)
yn2 yn4

for which all solutions are periodic with period ten. For further examples and
general discussion of equations with periodic solutions see [4] and the references
therein.

Acknowledgements

We are very thankful to the referees for comments and insights that improved
this manuscript.
4 K. S. Berenhaut

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