Tougher Sequences questions

Example
The seventeenth term of an AP is nine times the first term and the ninth terms is 6 less than three
times the third term. Determine the third and fifth terms of the sequence.

Step 1: Put the information into the formulae

T17 = 9  T1 T9 = 3  T3 – 6
a + (17-1)d = 9a a + (9-1)d = 3[a + (3-1)d] – 6
Step 2: Tidy up the equations
a + (17-1)d = 9a a + (9-1)d = 3[a + (3-1)d] – 6
a + 16d = 9a a + 8d = 3[a + 2d] – 6
16d = 8a a + 8d = 3a + 6d – 6
2d = a 2d = 2a – 6

Step 3: Solve (very often simultaneously)

2d = a & 2d = 2a – 6
 a = 2a – 6
a=6 So d = 3

Step 4: Be sure to answer the question!!!!

T3 = 6 + (3-1)3 = 12
T5 = 6 + (4)3 = 18

Exercises
1. The sum of the first three terms of an AP is 27 and the product of the first two terms is 36.
Determine the 10th term of the sequence
2. The sum of the first three terms of a GP is 21 and the product of the first three terms is 64.
Solve the first three terms of the sequence
3. In an Arithmetic Progression the eighth term is twice the fourth term. The sum of the first
three terms is 12. Determine the first term.
4. The sum of three consecutive terms of an AP is 18. their product is 192. Calculate the
numbers.
5. Prove that the terms b ; a ; a + 4 form a geometric progression if the terms
2 1 a
; ; form an arithmetic progression and a  – b
a+b a−b a+b
6. a ; b and c form the first three terms of an arithmetic sequence, while b ; b and d form
the first three terms of a geometric sequence. Prove that (2b – a)2 = b
7* The first two terms of an AP are the same as the first two terms of a GP, namely,
-2; x; …
a. Write down the third terms of the GP in terms of x.
b. If the sum of the first three terms of the AP is equal to the third terms of the
GP , determine x.