SEQUENCE

A sequence is a succession of numbers in a specific order. Each number in a

sequence is called a term. The terms are formed according to some fixed rule
or property. They arranged as the first terms, the second term, the third term,
and so on.
A sequence with a definite number of terms is a finite sequence. In finite
sequences, the first and the last terms are clearly identified.
The following are finite sequences:
Sequence First Term Last term Number of terms

10, 8, 6, 4, 2 10 2 5

-2x, 4x2, -8x3, …- -2x -2048x11 11

2048x11
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
1, , , , , ,
4 42 43 44 45 46
46
The first and the last terms of a sequence are referred
to as extremes. The terms between the first and the
last terms are called means.
A sequence with no definite number of terms is an
infinite sequence.
The following are examples of infinite sequence
-9, -2, 5, 12, 19,…
1 1
127, 9, 3, 1, , ,…
2 9
…-64, -49, -36, -25, -16
Example 1. Find the next three terms of each
infinite sequence

a. 27, 19, 11,…

b. 0.5, 5.0, 50.0,…
c. -1, 4, -9, 16,…
Solution: Search for the pattern using the
given terms of the sequence.
a. The next term is 8 less than any preceding term.
Hence the next three terms are 3, -5, and -13.
b. A term is 10 times the preceding term. Thus, the
next three terms are 500.0, 5,000,0, and 50,000.0.
c. The terms have alternating signs. Moreover, the
absolute value of each term corresponds to the square
of a natural number. Therefore, the next three terms
are -25, 36, and -49.
 Example 2: Use the functional relation S(n) = 3n – 2,
where n is a natural number, to write an infinite
sequence.
Solution
If n = 1, S(1) = 3(1) – 2 = 1
If n = 2, S(2) = 3(2) – 2 = 4
If n = 3, S(3) = 3(3) – 2 = 7
If n = 4, S(4) = 3(4) – 2 = 10
The sequence is 1, 4, 7, 10,…
Example 3: Using n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, write the first five
2 𝟏
terms of the sequence defined by S(n) = n -
𝒏
Solution
𝟏
If n = 1, S(1) = 12 - =1–1=0
𝟏
2 𝟏 𝟏 𝟕
If n = 2, S(2) = 2 - =4- =
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
2 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐𝟔
If n = 3, S(3) = 3 - =9- =
𝟑 𝟑 𝟑
2 𝟏 𝟏 𝟔𝟑
If n = 4, S(4) = 4 - = 16 - =
𝟒 𝟒 𝟒
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏𝟐𝟒
If n = 5, S(5) = 52 - = 25 - =
𝟓 𝟓 𝟓
Example 4. Write the first five terms of the
sequence given the nth term.
(−1)𝑛+1
an =
𝑛+2
(−1)1+1 (−1)2 1 1 1 1 1 1
a1 = = = The sequence is defined as ,- , ,- ,
1+2 3 3 3 4 5 6 7
(−1)2+1 (−1)3 1
a2 = = = -
2+2 4 4
(−1)3+1 (−1)4 1
a3 = = =
3+2 5 5
(−1)4+1 (−1)5 1
a4 = = = -
4+2 6 6
(−1)5+1 (−1)6 1
a5 = = =
5+2 7 7
 Example 5. Find the first five terms of the sequence in which the
recursive formula is given by
an = an-1 + 2 and a1 = 3
Solution : We are given a1 = 3 then, we use the recursive formula an = an-1 + 2 to
find the other four terms.
If n = 2, a2 = a2-1 + 2 = a1 + 2 = 3 + 2 = 5
if n = 3, a3 = a3-1 + 2 = a2 + 2 = 5 + 2 = 7
If n = 4, a4 = a4-1 + 2 = a3 + 2 = 7 + 2 = 9
If n = 5, a5 = a5-1 + 2 = a4 + 2 = 9 + 2 = 11
The sequence is: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
 Example 6. Find the first twenty terms of the sequence in
which the recursive formula is given by
an = an-1 + an-2 and a1 = a2 = 1

Solution: Given a1 = 1 and a2 = 1, then, we can find the other eighteen terms by
using the formula
an = an-1 + an-2
a3 = a3-1 + a3-2= a2 + a1 = 1 + 1 = 2
a4 = a4-1 + a4-2= a3 + a2 = 2 + 1 = 3
a5 = a5-1 + a5-2 = a4 + a3 = 3 + 2 = 5
Observe that we determine the next term by adding the preceding two terms,
Therefore, we list the terms of the sequence. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89,
144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1,597, 2,584, 4,181, 6,765.
These numbers are the terms in the Fibonacci sequence, the numbers are called
Fibonacci numbers.
There are two important types of sequences, the arithmetic sequence and geometric
sequence.
Arithmetic sequence – is a sequence in which each term, after the first term, can be obtained
by adding a constant to the preceding term. The nth term of the arithmetic sequence is given
by the recursive formula
an = an-1 + d
Where d is called the common difference. We can write this as d = an – an-1
Therefore, the difference between consecutive terms is a fixed number d.

Example 7. The first two terms of an arithmetic sequence are given. Find the nth term. Write
the first five terms of the sequence.
17, 12…
Since a1 = 17 and a2 = 12, then the common difference is d = a2 – a1 = 12 – 17 = -5
And so, a3 = a2 – 5 = 12 – 5 = 7
a4 = a3 – 5 = 7 – 5 = 2
a5 = a4 – 5 = 2 – 5 = -3
The arithmetic sequence is 17, 12, 7, 2, -3
Arithmetic Sequence
• In general, we can write an arithmetic sequence like
this:
• a, a + d, a + 2d, a + 3d, …
• a is the first term.
• d is the difference between the terms (called the
“common difference”)
• The rule is:
• an = a + d(n-1)
• (We use “n-1” because d is not used on the 1st term.)
Arithmetic Sequence

• For each sequence, if it is arithmetic,

find the common difference.
1. -3, -6, -9, -12, … 1. d = -3
2. 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4, … 2. d = 1.1
3. 41, 32, 23, 14, 5, … 3. d = -9
4. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …
4. Not an arithmetic
sequence.
 Arithmetic Sequence

• Write the explicit rule for the

Find the 12th term of this sequence.
sequence
Substitute 12 in for “n.”
• 19, 13, 7, 1, -5, …
a12 = 19 - (12-1)6
Start with the formula: an = a1 +(n-1)d
a1 is the first term = 19 a12 = 19 - (11)6
d is the common difference: -6 a12 = 19 – 66
The rule is: a12 = -47
an = 19 - (n-1)6
Geometric Sequence

• In a Geometric Sequence each term is found by

multiplying the pervious term by a constant.
• For example:
• 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, …
• The sequence has a factor of 2 between each
number.
• It’s rule is an = 2n
Geometric Sequence

• In general we can write a geometric sequence like

this:
• a, ar, ar2, ar3, …
• a is the first term
• r is the factor between the terms (called the
“common ratio”).
• The rule is n = ar(n-1)
• We use “n-1” because ar0 is the 1st term.
Geometric Sequence

• For each sequence, if it is geometric,

find the common ratio.
1. 2, 8, 32, 128, … 1. r = 4
2. 1, 10, 100, 1000, … 2. r = 1.1
3. 1, -1, 1, -1, … 3. r = -1
4. 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, …
4. Not a geometric sequence.
 Geometric Sequence

• Write the explicit rule for the sequence

Find the 12th term of this sequence.
• 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, …
Substitute 12 in for “n.”
• Start with the formula: an = a1r(n-1)
a12 = (3)(2)(12-1)
• a1 is the first term = 3
a12 = (3)(2)(11)
• r is the common ratio: 2
a12 = (3)(2048)
• The rule is:
• an = (3)(2)(n-1) a12 = 6,144
• (Order of operations states that we would take care of exponents before you multiply.)
Example: how many terms are in the
geometric sequence 6, 12, 24,…,3072?
12 24
We find the common ratio, r = = =2
6 12
Then, since an = a1rn-1 we have
an = 3072, a1 = 6, r = 2 , n=?
2𝑛
3,072 = 6(2)n-1 512 =
2
3,072 = 6(2n)(2-1) 512(2) = 2n
3,072 6(2n)(2-1)
= 1,024 = 2n
6 6
512 = (2n)(2-1) 210 = 2n
n = 10
therefore, 3,072 is the 10th term in the geometric sequence
Example: Suppose the 5th term of a geometric sequence is 25 and the 9th term is 400. Find the
3rd term.

Solution : The nth term of the geometric sequence can be written as an = a1rn-1
if a5 = 25 and a9 = 400, then
a5 = 25 = a1r4 we can solve for a1, by substitution
8 1 25 25 25
a9 = 400 = a1r a = 4= 4=
𝑟 2 16
We solve for a1 in a5 to get thus the third term is,
25
a1 = 4 an = a1rn-1
𝑟
25
Substitute this in a1 of a9 a3 = (2)3-1
16
25 25
a9 = 400 = a1r8 =( ) ▪ r8 = 25r4 → 400 = 25r4 a3 = (2)2
𝑟4 16
25
Solving for r, we get a3 = (4)
16
4 400 25
r = a3 =
25 4
r4 = 16
r4 = 24
r=2
 Suppose we want to find a term between two given terms of
an arithmetic sequence. This term is what we call the
arithmetic mean.
𝑎+𝑏
The Arithmetic Mean m of two numbers a and b is given by m =
2
the number m is also called the average of a and b.
Example: Write an arithmetic sequence that has four arithmetic means between -5
and 15
Solution: The four arithmetic means m1, m2, m3, m4 when inserted between -5 and 15
will form a sequence -5, m1, m2, m3, m4 , 15.
Since a1 = -5 and a6 = 15, we can solve for d using the formula
an = a1 + (n-1)d 15 + 5 = 5d m1= -5 + 4 = -1
a6 = -5 + (6-1)d 20 = 5d m2 = -1 + 4 = 3
15 = -5 + 5d d=4 m3 = 3 + 4 = 7
The Arithmetic sequence is -5, -1, 3, 7, 11, 15 m4 = 7 + 4 = 11
Geometric Mean

Consider the proportion . In this case, the

means of the proportion are the same number, and
that number is the geometric mean of the extremes.
The geometric mean of two positive numbers is the
positive square root of their product. So the geometric
mean of a and b is the positive number x such
that , or x2 = ab.
 Example : Finding Geometric Means

Find the geometric mean of each pair of

numbers. If necessary, give the answer in
simplest radical form.
4 and 25

Let x be the geometric mean.

x2 = (4)(25) = 100 Def. of geometric mean

x = 10 Find the positive square root.

 Example : Finding Geometric Means

Find the geometric mean of each pair of

numbers. If necessary, give the answer in
simplest radical form.

5 and 30
Let x be the geometric mean.

x2 = (5)(30) = 150 Def. of geometric mean

Find the positive square root.

 Example

Find the geometric mean of each pair of

numbers. If necessary, give the answer in
simplest radical form.
2 and 8
Let x be the geometric mean.
x2 = (2)(8) = 16 Def. of geometric mean

x=4 Find the positive square root.

Sources:
Next Century Mathematics
Precalculus
Math activated: Engage
Yourself and Our world
PRECALCULUS