Arithmetic and

Geometric
Sequences
Mutual fund and insurance companies utilize the concept of
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incomes through overriding commissions compared to those in the
down lines.
ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE
• A sequence in which a constant (d) can be added to each term
to get the next term is called an arithmetic sequence.

• The constant (d) is called the common difference. To find the

common difference (d), subtract any term from one that follows it.

• The first term of an arithmetic sequence is a.

a =t1 t2 t3 t4 t5

2 5 8 11 14

3 3 3 3
• In general, we can write an arithmetic sequence like this:
a, a + d, a + 2d, a + 3d, …
where
a is the first term.
d is the difference between the terms (called the
“common difference”)
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.
Examples
a) 4, 9, 14, 19, 24
First term, a = 4

Common difference, d = T2-T1 = T3-T2 = 5

b) 34, 27, 20, 13, 6, -1, -8, ……

First term, a = 34

Common difference, d = T2-T1 = T3-T2 = -7

Now you try!
Find the first term and the common difference of each of these
arithmetic sequences.
a) 1, -4, -9, -14, ….

b) 11, 23, 35, 47, ….

Answers
a) 1, -4, -9, -14, …. a=1 and
d = a2 - a1 = - 4 - 1 = - 5

b) 11, 23, 35, 47, …. a = 11 and

d = a2 - a1 = 23 - 11 = 12
• The first term of an arithmetic sequence is (a) . We
add (d) to get the next term. There is a pattern,
therefore there is a formula (explicit formula) we can
use to give use any term that we need without listing
the whole sequence.

The nth term of an arithmetic sequence is given by:

Tn = a + (n – 1) d

The last # in the The position The common

sequence/or the # the term is in difference
you are looking for
Sum of the first n terms of an
arithmetic sequence
𝑛
Sn = 2𝑎 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑
2
 Find the 14th term of the
arithmetic sequence
4, 7, 10, 13,……

You are looking for

Tn = a + (n – 1) d the term!
T14 = 4 + (14 -1) 3
= 4 + (13)3
= 43 The 14th term in this sequence
is the number 43!
 Find the 14th term of the arithmetic
sequence with first term of 5 and
the common difference is –6.

a = 5 and d = -6
You are looking for
Tn = a + (n – 1) d the term!
T14 = 5 + (14 -1) (-6)
= 5 + (13)(-6)
= -73 The 14th term in this sequence
is the number -73!
 In the arithmetic sequence
4,7,10,13,…, which term has a
value of 301?

Tn = a + (n – 1) d
301  4  (n  1)3 You are
301  4  3n  3 looking
301  1  3n for n!
300  3n
100  n The 100th term in this
sequence is 301!
 In an arithmetic sequence, term 10 is 33 and
term 22 is –3. What are the first four terms of
the sequence?
t10=33 Use what you know!
t22= -3

tn = a + (n – 1) d
tn = a + (n – 1) d
For term 10: 33= a + 9d For term 22: -3= a + 21d

HMMM! Two equations you can solve!

SOLVE: 33 = a+9d SOLVE: 33 = a + 9d

-3 = a+21d 33 = a +9(-3)

By elimination 36 = 12d
-
33 = a –27

-3 = d 60 = a

The sequence is 60, 57, 54, 51, …….

Tutorial Arithmetic Sequence
1) Given the arithmetic sequence: 2,10,18,…., find
i) the tenth term.
ii) the sum of the first ten terms.

2) Given the arithmetic sequence: 30, 23, 16, 9, 2, …., find the
twelfth term and the sum of the first twelve terms.
3) Find the number of terms in the arithmetic sequence:
12, 17, 22, ….., 67
Hence, find the sum of all the terms.

4) Find the minimum number of terms that must be taken

from the sequence
8, 16, 24, 32, ….
so that the sum is more than 120.
GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE
What is a Geometric Sequence?
A geometric sequence is a sequence in which each term
after the first is obtained by multiplying the preceding
term by a constant nonzero real number.

• 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 … is an example of a geometric
sequence with first term 1 and each subsequent term
is 2 times the term preceding it.
• The multiplier from each term to the next is called the
common ratio and is usually denoted by r.
Finding the Common Ratio
• In a geometric sequence, the common ratio can be found by
dividing any term by the term preceding it.

The geometric sequence 2, 8, 32, 128, …

has common ratio r = 4 since

8 32 128
   ...  4
2 8 32
GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE
• In general we can write a geometric sequence like this:
a, ar, ar2, ar3, …

where
a is the first term
r is the factor between the terms (called the “common
ratio”)
Ex: Determine if the sequence is geometric. If so,
identify the common ratio
• 1, -6, 36, -216
yes. Common ratio=-6

• 2, 4, 6, 8
no. No common ratio
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 = 10

3. r = -1
3. 1, -1, 1, -1, …
4. Not a geometric
4. 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, … sequence.
The nth term of an geometric sequence is given by:

Tn = ar n-1

Where:

Tn is the nth term in the sequence

a1 is the first term
n is the number of the term
r is the common ratio
 Sum of the first n terms of a
geometric sequence
If a geometric sequence has first term a and common ratio
r, then the sum of the first n terms is given by

𝑎(𝑟 𝑛 −1)
Sn = if r>1
𝑟−1

or
𝑎(1− 𝑟 𝑛 )
Sn = if r<1
1−𝑟
Tutorial (Geometric Sequence)
1) Given the geometric sequence:
5, 15, 45, 135, …..,
Find the:
a) Eighth term and tenth term
b) Sum of the first eight terms

2) Find the number of terms in the sequence 2, 6, 18, …..,

39366. Calculate the sum of all the terms.
3) Find the minimum number of terms that must be taken
from the sequence 3, 12, 48, 192, ….. so that the sum is
more than 300.

4) The third term of a geometric sequence is 360 and the sixth

term is 1215. Find the:
a) first term
b) tenth term.
c) sum of the first ten terms.
Focus on Exam
1) The sum of the first twelve terms of an arithmetic sequence
is 1188. If the sixth term is 89, find the first term, the common
difference and the fifteenth term.
2) The sum of the first n terms of the progression 36, 34, 32, …
is 0. Find n and the tenth term.
3) Find the sum of the first thirteen terms of the progression 40,
20, 10, 5, ….
4) The fifth term of a geometric sequence is 252 and the
common ratio is 0.5. Find the first term and the sum of the
first ten terms.