TAMPINES JUNIOR COLLEGE

2008 JC 1 H2 MATHEMATICS

Tutorial 3: Sequences and Series JC 1/2008

Chapter Objectives Questions

1. Concepts of sequence 1, 2
2. Generating a sequence 1, 2

3. Forming a conjecture for the general term, un 1, 2

4. Practical examples of finite and infinite sequences

5. Concepts of series and the use of  notation 3, 4

6. Obtaining general term un from sum of first n terms

7. Summation of series by the method of differences 5, 6,7

8. Convergence of a sequence 8
9. Convergence of a series and the sum to infinity 9

1. A sequence is defined by
u n1  u n  3, u 0  102 .
(i) Find u1, u2, u3 and u4.
(ii) Obtain a conjecture for un in the form [102 – f (n)] for n = 1, 2, 3,4,… expressing
f (n) in terms of n. [2006/TPJC/Promos]

2. The sequence of numbers u1, u2, u3 is such that u1 = 5, u2 = 10 and un = un-1 + 2un-2 – 6n +
15 for n > 2, n  Z+.
(i) Write down the first 5 terms of the sequence
(ii) By considering un - 3n or otherwise, write down a conjecture for the term un in
terms of n where n  Z+.

3. The sequence of numbers un is such that un = 3(n+1)2 – 3 (n+1) +1 for all n. Find the
n
values of S1, S2, S3, S4 for Sn = u
r 1
r
. Hence, state a conjecture about the value of
 Sn.

n
n (n  1) n
1
4. Given that 
r 1
r
2
and r
r 1
2

6
n( n  1)(2n  1) , find an expression in

simplified form, for

n n 2n
(a)  (2r  n  1)
r 1
(b)  (2r  n)2
r 0
(c)  [3r (r  1)  1]
r  n 1

5.
n
Let f(n) = 3 , where n is a positive integer. Show that f(n+1) – f(n) =
3 n ( 2n  1) .
n n( n  1)
n
3 (2n  1)
n
Hence, find 
r 1 2n( n  1)
.

1 A B .
6. (i) Express in the form 
(2r  1)(2r  3) 2r  1 2r  3
1 1 1 1
(ii) Hence find the sum of     .
1 5 3  7 5  9 (2n  1)(2n  3)
n
1
(iii) Deduce the value of  (2r  1)(2r  5) . [2006/AJC/Promos/7]
r 1

7. Express 7 r  10 in partial fractions.

r (r  1)(r  2)
n
7 r  10
Hence, find  r (r  1)(r  2) , giving your answer in the form
r 1
M  f(n) , where M

is a constant.

21r  30
Deduce the exact value of  r (r  1)(r  2) .
r 1

8. The positive numbers x n satisfy the relation

, for =1, 2, 3, ... .

x n 1   x n  5 n
1/ 2

As n  , xn  l .

(i) Find (in either order) the value of l to 3 decimal places and the exact value of l

(ii) Prove that .

 xn1  2  l 2  xn  l
 (iii) Hence, show that if x n  l , x n  x n 1  l .

Hint: (i) As n  , what is the value of xn+1 ? Can you form an equation involving l?
(ii) What is xn+12?

(iii) Can you form an equality of (xn+12) – l2 and xn2 - xn+12?

(1) n 1 y n 2 .
9. The nth term of a sequence is given by vn 
n
(a) Leaving your answers correct to 5 decimal places, list the values of vn and
n

v r 1
r
for 1  n  8 for the following cases:

1.
(i) y4 (ii) y
4
n
Do you think v
r 1
r
will converge in each case?

x 2 x3 (1)r 1 x r
(b) It is given that ln(1  x)  x    ...   ... for  1  x  1 .
2 3 r
n
If the series v
r 1
r
converges, state the condition for convergence and the sum

to infinity.


(c) Using your answers in (b), determine if v
r 1
r
exists for the following cases.


If so, state the exact value of v
r 1
r
. If not, explain your reason clearly.

1.
(i) y4 (ii) y
4
Answers:
1. 102 – 3n 2. un = 2n + 3n. 3. Sn = (n + 1)3 – 1 4(a) 2n(n+1)
n 3n 1
(b) (n  1)(2  n) 4(c) 7n3 5. 3
3 n 1
1 1 1 2 1 1
6.   ,  
3 4  2n  1 4  2n  3 15 4(2n  3) 4(2n  5)
 5 2
7. 6  , 18 8(i) 2.791, 1  21
n 1 n  2 2
9(a)(i) No (ii) Yes (b)

0  y  1 , ln 1  y  (c)(i) No (ii) Yes,
ln1.5

TAMPINES JUNIOR COLLEGE

2008 H2 MATHEMATICS
PAE Tutorial : Sequences and Series JC1//2008

SQ1. A sequence of positive integers u1 , u2 , u3 , ... is defined by u1  1 and un 1  3un  6

for all positive integers n.
(i) Write down the first 6 terms of the sequence defined by un .
(ii) By considering a particular multiple of 3 n1 , make a conjecture for a formula for
un in terms of n.

DQ2. In the following game, a player is to move all discs from pole A to pole C with as few
steps as possible.

There are two rules:

Rule 1: You can only move one disc at a time.
Rule 2: You cannot have a larger disc over a small disc at any time.

un denotes the smallest number of steps needed to move n discs from A to C and
follows the recurrence relation u n  1  2u n 1 , u1  1 .
(i) Calculate the values for u2 , u3 , u4 , u5 and find a general formula for u n in

terms of n.
(ii) Assuming that a person takes a second to move a disc, calculate the number of
years needed to move 32 discs. (Take 365 days in a year.)
[2006/SAJC/Promo/11]

Q3. Write in full the following series:

 5
1 5 7
1
(a) 
r 1 r!
(b)  (1) r (1  2r 1) (c)  r ( r  2)
r 0 r 1

DQ4. Express the following sums in  notation:

(a) 1  4  7  10  ... (30 terms)

(b) 1 1 1 1 1
 2
 2  2  2  2  ... ... (n terms)
1 3 5 7 9
(c) 2 3 4 (2n terms)
   ... ...
1.2.3 3.4.5 5.6.7
(d) 1.2! + 2.3! + 3.4! + … … (n+1 terms)
(e) 25 - 58 + 811 - 1114 + … … (n terms)

n
n(n  1)
SQ5. Given r 
r 1 2
, find

n n
(a)  (3r  5) (b)  ( 2n  1  2r )
r 1 r 0

n
DQ6.(i) Show that .
 (2r  n  1)  (n  1)(2n)
r 1

(ii) Explain what is wrong with the following working.

2n 2n n
 (2r  n  1)   (2r  n  1)   (2r  n  1)
r n 1 r 1 r 1
 4n(2n  1)  (2n)(n  1)
2n
(iii) Using (i), find  (2r  n  1) , giving your answer in a fully factorised form.
r  n 1

SQ7. A sequence U1, U2, U3,…. Is defined by Un = 1 .

n2
2n  1
(i) Show that Un – Un+1 =
n 2 ( n  1) 2

N
2n  1
(ii) Hence, find n
n 1
2
(n  1) 2


4n  2 .
(iv) Deduce the value of n
n 1
2
(n  1) 2
 2k  1 A B
DQ8. Find A and B such that  2  .
k (k  1)
2 2
k (k  1) 2

Show that the sum of the following series

3 5 7 2n  1 1
 2 2  2 2  ....  2 1
2
1 (2) 2
2 (3 ) 3 ( 4 ) n (n  1) 2
(n  1) 2

Deduce that sum to infinity of this series 3  5  7  ..... is less than 1.

4 4 4
2 3 4
[SAJC/Prelim 2007/P1 Q8]

Answers

4  3n1   3
1. 2. (i) (ii) 136 years
un  2 n  1

5(a) ½ n(3n+13) (b) (n + 1)2 6(iii)

2n  2n  1

1
7(ii) 1 - (iii) 2 8. A = 1, B = -1
( N  1) 2
 TAMPINES JUNIOR COLLEGE
2008 JC 1 H2 MATHEMATICS

Assignment 3: Sequences and Series JC1/2008

1. A sequence of positive integers u1 , u2 , u3 , ... is defined by u1  2 and

un 1  4un  3  0 for all positive integers n.
(i) Write down the first 6 terms of the sequence defined by un .
(ii) By considering a particular multiple of 4 n1 , make a conjecture for a formula for

un in terms of n.

2. By first expressing the following series in sigma notation form, find their sums, given
k
k  k  1 2k  1
that r
r 1
2

6
for k    :

(i) 12  2 2  3 2  ...   2n  , (ii) 2 2  4 2  6 2  ...   2n  .

2 2

Hence, find 12  3 2  5 2  ...   2n  1 2 .

3. (i) Show that 3 2 1 16r  16 .

  
2r  1 2r  1 2r  3  2r  1 2r  1 2r  3
n
r 1
(ii) Hence find   2r  1 2r  1 2r  3 ,
r 1
giving your answer in the form

k  f  n  , where k is a constant.
(iii) State the sum of infinity of the series in which the rth term is
r 1 .
 2r  1 2r  1 2r  3
4. The numbers xn satisfy the relation xn+1 = -
2 x n  1 for n = 1, 2, 3,…
5
As n  , xn  k.
(i) Find the exact value of k.
(ii) Show that if xn < k, then xn < xn+1
[2007/CJC/Prelim P1/9(c)]
Answers

3  4n1   1
1 2 1
1.(ii) 2. n 2n  1 4n  1 , n n  1 2n  1 , n 2n  1 2n  1
3 3 3
5 1 3 1  5
3(ii)     (iii) 4(i) 1  6
24 16  2n  1 2n  3  24 5