Further Exploration

a)Definition.
The exponential model of growth assumes that after each
transition the population gets multiplied by a fixed
(positive) number.

1. We assume that P1 is the initial size of the population

and after each transition the population gets
multiplied by a fixed (positive) number r . This
number r is called the common ratio.
2. So, the population size after first transition is
P2 = rP1
3. the population size after second transition
P3 = rP2 = r2P1
4. ... ...
5. the population size after (n-1)th transition , the size
Pn of the nth generation is given by
Pn =rPn-1 =rn-1P1

The population sequence as in the exponential

model is a geometric sequence.
b)Definition.

A sequence a1, a2,a3, , ... , an-1,an, ... is called a

geometric sequence if the ratio of two successive
terms is a fixed number r.
1.The first term is a1. To compute the any term
of the sequence we multiply the previous term
by a fixed number. This number d is called
the common ratio.
2.So, a2 = ra1
3.a3 = ra2 = r2a1
4.... ...
5.the nth term an = ran-1 = rn-1a1
6.So, if the first term is a1 = a and the common
ratio is r, the geometric sequence looks like:
a, ra, r2a, ... ..., rn-1a, rna, ...