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INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
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Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches
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SL
Sequence and Series
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1. Calculate the sums:
mark: 6]
51
he sums (a) 7 + 10 + 13 + 16 + L + 157 (b) ∑ (3r + 4)
r =1
[4]
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2. In an arithmetic sequence, the first term is 5 and the fourth term is 40. Find the second term.
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3. The first three terms of an arithmetic sequence are 7, 9.5, 12. [3]
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(a) What is the 41st term of the sequence? [2]
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(b) What is the sum of the first 101 terms of the sequence? [2]
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4. Consider the sequence un given by the recursive definition
u1 =10, un+1 =un +10
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(a) Find the first three terms . [3]
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(b) Find S1, S2 and S3. [3]
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5. Arturo goes swimming every week. He swims 200 metres in the first week.
Each week he swims 30 metres more than the previous week. He continues for one year (52 weeks).
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(a)How far does Arturo swim in the final week? [3]
(b) How far does he swim altogether?
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6. Mr Jones decides to increase the amount of money he spends on food by d GBP every year. In the
first year he spends a GBP. In the 8th year he spends twice as much as in the 4th year. In the 20th
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year he spends 4000 GBP. Find the value of d. [3]
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7. The first three terms of an arithmetic sequence are

x2–3, x2 and 4x

(a) When x = 3, the sequence is arithmetic.

(i) Write down the first three terms.

(ii) Find the common difference. [3]

(b) Find the other value of x for which the sequence is arithmetic. [4]
(c) For this value of x (found in question (b))

(i) write down the first three terms.

(ii) find the common difference.

(iii) find the sum of the first 4 terms. [5]

8. The three terms a, 1, b are in arithmetic progression. The three terms 1, a, b are in geometric
progression. Find the value of a and of b given that a ≠ b. [2]

9. A geometric sequence has second term 12 and fifth term 324.

(a) Calculate the value of the common ratio. [3]
(b) Calculate the 10th term of this sequence. [3]
(c) The kth term is the first term that is greater than 2000. Find the value of k. [3]

10. The seventh term, u7, of a geometric sequence is 108. The eighth term, u8, of the sequence is 36.
(a) Write down the common ratio of the sequence. [1]
(b) Find u1. [2]

The sum of the first k terms in the sequence is 118 096.

(c) Find the value of k. [3]

11. Let 5, x, 45, y be consecutive terms of a geometric sequence.

(a) Find the possible values of x. [3]

(b) Hence find the possible values of y. [3]

12. The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 0 and the common difference is 12.
(a) Find the value of the 96th term of the sequence. [2]
th
The first term of a geometric sequence is 6. The 6 term of the geometric sequence is equal to
the 17th term of the arithmetic sequence given above.
(b) Write down an equation using this information and hence calculate the common
ratio of the geometric sequence. [3]
The n-th term of the arithmetic sequence is equal to the n -th term of the geometric sequence
above.
(c) Find the possible value of n. [3]
13. The population of Bangor is growing each year. At the end of 1996, the population was 40 000. At
the end of 1998, the population was 44 100. Assuming that these annual figures follow a geometric
progression, calculate
(a) the population of Bangor at the end of 1997; [2]
(b) the population of Bangor at the end of 1992. [3]

14. A National Lottery is offering prizes in a new competition. The winner may choose one of the
following.
Option one: $1000 each week for 10 weeks

Option two: $250 in the first week, $450 in the second week, $650 in the third week, increasing by
$200 each week for a total of 10 weeks.

Option three: $10 in the first week, $20 in the second week, $40 in the third week continuing to
double for a total of 10 weeks.

(a) Calculate the amount you receive in the tenth week, if you select

(i) option two;

(ii) option three. [6]

(b) What is the total amount you receive if you select option two? [2]
(c) Which option has the greatest total value? Justify your answer by showing all appropriate
calculations. [4]

15. Find
(a) the coefficient of x10 in the expansion of (5 +2x2)8 [4]
2
(b) the constant term in the expansion of (3x – )8 [4]
x
2
(c) the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of (3x – )8 [4]
x