1978]

285

KNIGHT'S TOUR REVISITED

[5] M. Kraitchik, Le Problem du Cavalier

1927).
[6] M. Kraitchik, Mathematical
Recreations

(Paris:

Gauthiers-Villars et Cie,

(New York:

Dover, 1953).

A FAMILY OF TRIDIAGONAL MATRICES

South

Dakota

State

GERALD E. BERGUM
University,
Brookings,

SD 57007

and
San Jose

VERNER E. HOGGATT, JR.

State University,
San Jose,

CA 95192

Consider the sequence of tridiagonal determinants \ Pn

fined by

Pn{k)

(a, b9 c) = P n

U)

= \{a^)\

(a, b9 c)\

de-

where
1 = J

a,
b,
c,
0,

i = j ~ k
i = j + fc"
otherwise

. ( l}
1)
We shall assume P^
^ 0. The determinant Pn[TO has a?s down the main diagonal, 2?'s down the diagonal k positions to the right of the main diagonal
and c's down the diagonal k positions below the main diagonal.

In [1], the authors discuss {P^

)n=i a n d f i n d i t s generating function.
This note deals with a relationship that exists between

[p^Tn.,
The first few terms

and

W ^ L x

*w i) }:.

= 1

= a

P.

= a2 - be

= a3 -

with P

^ r fc> 2.
(1)

defined as one are:

labc

P,

ah - 3a2bc

P5

a 5 - 4a3fce +

Pe

a 6 - 5a?bo + 6a2b2c2

Py

a 7 - 6a5bc

b2e 2
3ab2c2

+ 10a3b2c2

b3o3

^ab3a3

286

[JUNE

A FAMILY OF TRIDIAGONAL MATRICES

By induction on n, it can be shown that

,(D

(A)

i)
(i)
oP,(!:)
, n > l .
n Vi - boP1i

When a = 1 and >c = - 1 , we obtain the Fibonacci sequence. This result can
also be found in [3] and [4].
The first few terms of | P ^ 2 H

P[2)

= a = pWpW

P(zz]

= a2 == [pf 0 ] 2

can be found in [1] and are:

P 3 (2) = a3 - aba =
P<

2)

(a

P^P^

-be)

P 5 (2) = a5 - 3a2ba
P6

(2)

P<2)

= (a

[P2(1)]2

+ 2ab2a2

- labc)

= [P3

= a7 - 5a5ba

+ la3b2e2

(2

=
(1)

2 2 2

P 8 > = (a* - 3a bc+b c )

P^pW
2

- 2ab3c3
1

= [pj ']

P^P^

As with J P ^ H _ , it can be shown by induction that

,2^2p(2)

aV (2)

P (2)

(B)

,(2)
abcP^l
+ bzczPjtl,

n >_5.

Not until our investigation of P^ (3)

' did we become suspicious of the fact that
7

(C)

.U)p(i)
^ - 1

^<?

(2)

= 9^
n*, =
2q - i

fc(1,]2>

n = 2q

The proof of the result (C) is as follows. Multiply the first and second
rows of P^1' by -c/a and add the results respectively to the third and fourth
rows. Evaluate the new determinant using the first two columns to obtain

.(2)

bpi}

p(l)
^2

bP

...

Multiply the first and second rows of the new determinant by -c/P ' and add
the results respectively to the third and fourth rows. Evaluate the new determinant using the first two columns to obtain

1978]

287

A FAMILY OF TRiDIAGONAL MATRICES

>U) ^

p(l)

bP^l)

p(l)

2>P2(1)

...

Repeating the process, using -c/P^1' , we see that

>U)

P ^;

p(l)

m"
0

bpp

1+

...

Let n = 2q - 1 and continue the technique above, evaluating by two columns at

a time for q - 1 times until you obtain

)(2)

p(l)

p(l)
-<7-l

(i)
&p,?-2
0

p(Dp(l)

If n~2q and we evaluate by two columns at a time for ^ times using the same
technique as above we obtain
,(i)

>U)

0
p(l)

W"]'-

This procedure applied to P.(3)

, where you evaluate by using three columns
n
at a time instead of two, yields

Pn{3)

([Pq{lM%{1) , n- 3q-2
= ^ [ P ^ ] 2 , n= 3 q - l .
([P?(!l]3,
n= 3q

In fact, i t is easy to show if n = kq - v that

(D)

Pj;k) =[pq^]r[pq^]k-r

lor 0 <r

<k.

The authors found an alternate way of proving (C), but the technique did
not apply if k >_ 3. This procedure is as follows. First show by induction,
using (B) and (A), that
(E)

,(2)

boR

(2)

p ' l)

ri > 1

288

A FAMILY OF TRIDIAGONAL MATRICES

JUNE 1978

Next apply the results of Horadam [2], where

p(D
c

= aP(D

_ bcpd)

n-1

n-2

uur

is Wn(a9 b: p, q) with a = 1, b = a, p = a, and q = be to obtain

(F)

ap_x

+JV[P'!J.[P(^.

Finally, using (A), (B), (E),. (F), and induct ion, you can show (C).
REFERENCES
[1] V. E. Hoggatt, Jr. , & G. E. Bergum, "A Combinatorial Problem Involving
Recursive Sequences and Tridiagonal Matrices," The Fibonacci
Quarterly,
to appear.
[2] A. F. Horadam, "Basic Properties of a Certain Generalized Sequence of
Numbers," The Fibonacci
Quarterly,
Vol. 3, No. 3 (Oct. 1965), pp. 161176.
[3] American Mathematical
Monthly,
"Problem E-834," by Donald Walter, October 1948, p. 498,
[4] American Mathematical
Monthly,
"Solution to E-834," by Alex Tytun, June
1949, p. 409.