To be more detailed we have $$ \begin{equation} \left( \begin{array}{ccccccc} \frac{2}{h^2}+V_1 & -\frac{1}{h^2} & 0 & 0 & \dots &0 & 0 \\ -\frac{1}{h^2} & \frac{2}{h^2}+V_2 & -\frac{1}{h^2} & 0 & \dots &0 &0 \\ 0 & -\frac{1}{h^2} & \frac{2}{h^2}+V_3 & -\frac{1}{h^2} &0 &\dots & 0\\ \dots & \dots & \dots & \dots &\dots &\dots & \dots\\ 0 & \dots & \dots & \dots &\dots &\frac{2}{h^2}+V_{n_{\mathrm{step}}-2} & -\frac{1}{h^2}\\ 0 & \dots & \dots & \dots &\dots &-\frac{1}{h^2} & \frac{2}{h^2}+V_{n_{\mathrm{step}}-1} \end{array} \right) \tag{8} \end{equation} $$ Recall that the solutions are known via the boundary conditions at \( i=n_{\mathrm{step}} \) and at the other end point, that is for \( \rho_0 \). The solution is zero in both cases.