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Unexpected result with RSolve?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg33629] Unexpected result with RSolve?
  • From: wouter.van.den.broeck at vub.ac.be
  • Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 18:09:07 -0500 (EST)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Hey,

There's probably a sound solution, but i'm struggling to grab it:

RSolve[{a[n + 1] == n a[n], a[0] == 1}, a[n], n]

returns:
{{a[n] -> 0}}

where, i believe it 'should' return
{{a[n] -> (n-1)!}}

Anyone care to give me some directions as to why this 'unexpected'
result?

(note: I started of with the standard textbook example: 
RSolve[{a[n] == n a[n-1], a[0] == 1}, a[n], n]
which returns 
{{a[n] -> n!}}
so there's no need to correct me in this direction, I just explored a
bit, and wonder why i'm getting that result with the variation above)

TIA

wouter vdb




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