On Rational and Hypergeometric Solutions of Linear Ordinary Difference Equations in $Π\mathbfΣ^*$-field extensions

Abstract: We present a complete algorithm that computes all hypergeometric solutions of homogeneous linear difference equations and rational solutions of parameterized linear difference equations in the setting of $\Pi\Sigma^*$-fields. More generally, we provide a flexible framework for a big class of difference fields that is built by a tower of $\Pi\Sigma^*$-field extensions over a difference field that satisfies certain algorithmic properties. As a consequence one can compute all solutions in terms of indefinite nested sums and products that arise within the components of a parameterized linear difference equation, and one can find all hypergeometric solutions that are defined over the arising sums and products of a homogeneous linear difference equation.