SEQUENCES

A sequence is a list of numbers or diagrams that are connected by a rule.

15 17 19 21 …
and

are sequences.
The numbers in a sequence are called the terms of the sequence
The nth term is used to describe a general term in a sequence.

If the nth term = 3n + 5 1st term = 3 × 1 + 5 = 8

2nd term = 3 × 2 + 5 = 11

3rd term = 3 × 3 + 5 = 14

4th term = 3 × 4 + 5 = 17

The sequence is 8, 11, 14, 17, …

It is called a linear sequence because the differences between terms

are all the same.
The rule to find the next term (the term-to-term rule) is +3 or add 3.
Examples

1 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 10, 17, 24, 31, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 7 and then add 3.
10 17 24 31

+7 +7 +7

nth term = 7n + 3
Examples

2 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 3 and then take 1.
2 5 8 11

+3 +3 +3

nth term = 3n - 1
Examples

3 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 9, 13, 17, 21, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 4 and then add 5.
9 13 17 21

+4 +4 +4

nth term = 4n + 5
Examples

4 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 29, 22, 15, 8, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply by
−7 and then add 36.
29 22 15 8

−7 −7 −7

nth term = 36 − 7n
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3 diagram 4

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4
×4
Number of circles 4 8 12 16

+4 +4 +4

b How many circles are in diagram 8? Answer = 8 × 4 = 32

c How many circles are in diagram n? Answer = 8 × n = 8n

Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4
× 3 then +1
Number of sticks 4 7 10 13

+3 +3 +3
b How many sticks are in diagram 27? Answer = 27 × 3 + 1 = 82

c How many sticks are in diagram n? Answer = 3n + 1

Examples

7 nth term = 5n - 3. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of 122.

5n  3  122 add 3 to both sides

5n  125 divide both sides by 5

n  25

Answer: the 25th term

Examples

8 nth term = 6n + 15. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of 303.

6n  15  303 take 15 from both sides

6n  288 divide both sides by 6

n  48

Answer: the 48th term

Examples

9 nth term = 50 - 6n. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of -184.

50  6n  184 take 50 from both sides

6n  234 divide both sides by −6

n  39

Answer: the 39th term

Non linear sequences
The sequence 5, 7, 10, 14, … is called a non-linear sequence because the
difference between the terms is not the same.
5 7 10 14

+2 +3 +4

You should be able to recognise and use the following non-linear sequences.
Square numbers

1 4 9 16 nth term = n2
Cube numbers

1 8 27 64 nth term = n3

Powers

For example 2, 4, 8, 16, … nth term = 2n

3, 9, 27, 81, … nth term = 3n

4, 16, 64, 256, … nth term = 4n

Examples

1 Find the nth term of the sequence 1, 3, 9, 27, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
powers of 3.
1 3 9 27
(= 30) (= 31) (= 32) (= 33)

subtract 1 from the term position to find the power

nth term = 3n1

Examples

2 Find the nth term of the sequence 4, 7, 12, 19, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
square numbers.
4 7 12 19
(= 12 + 3) (= 22 + 3) (= 32 + 3) (= 42 + 3)

square the term position and add 3

nth term = n 2  3
Examples

3 Find the nth term of the sequence 0, 7, 26, 63, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
cube numbers.
0 7 26 63
(= 13 − 1) (= 23 − 1) (= 33 − 1) (= 43 − 1)

cube the term position and subtract 1

nth term = n3  1
Examples

4 The table shows the first four terms in three sequences A, B and C.
Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4
Sequence A 3 6 11 18
Sequence B 3 9 27 81
Sequence C 0 3 16 63
a Find the nth term of sequence A.
Answer: nth term  n 2  2
b Find the nth term of sequence B.
Answer: nth term  3n
c Find the nth term of sequence C.
You need to notice that: sequence C = sequence B − sequence A

Answer: nth term  3n  (n 2  2)  3n  n 2  2

Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3 diagram 4

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4 5
Number of circles 1 2 23 34 45 56
1 3 6 10  15 
2 2 2 2 2
20  21
b How many circles are in diagram 20? Answer =  210
2
c How many circles are in diagram n? n(n  1)
Answer =
2
Examples
6

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

The diagram shows the growth of a plant over three years.
Each year a flower is replaced by three stems and three flowers.
a Complete the table.
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of flowers 1 3 9 27 81
Number of stems 1 4 13 40 121
Examples

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

b How many flowers are there in year n?
Using the answers from part a you can see a pattern.

Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of flowers 1 = 30 3 = 31 9 = 32 27= 33 81 = 34

So, number of flowers in year n = 3n1

Examples

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

c How many stems are there in year n?
Using the answers from part a you can see a pattern.
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of stems 31  1 32  1 33  1 34  1 35  1
1 4 13  40  121
2 2 2 2 2
3n  1
So, number of stems in year n =
2
Further non-linear sequences

Example
1 The nth term of the sequence 8, 16, 26, 38, … is given by the formula
nth term = n2 + bn + c
Find the values of b and c.

The first term is 8, so substitute n = 1 into the formula

12  b  1 c  8
bc 7
The second term is 16, so substitute n = 2 into the formula
22  b  2  c  16
2b  c  12
Solving bc 7 and 2b  c  12 simultaneously gives b = 5 and c = 2.
If you are asked to find the values of a, b and c when the
nth term = an2 + bn + c
then the problem is more complicated.
One method is to look at the differences in the terms. For example

4 13 26 43 54
First difference +9 + 13 + 17 + 21

Second difference +4 +4 +4

The second differences are all the same.

This means that it is a quadratic sequence
A second difference of 2  the nth term will contain n2.
A second difference of 4  the nth term will contain 2n2.
A second difference of 6  the nth term will contain 3n2.
So divide the second difference by 2 to find the coefficient of n2.
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

3 sticks 9 sticks 18 sticks
How many sticks are needed to make
a diagram 4 b diagram 5 c diagram n?

a diagram 4 = 18 + 12 = 30 sticks

b diagram 5 = 30 + 15 = 45 sticks
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

3 sticks 9 sticks 18 sticks

c 3 9 18 30 45 nth term  an 2  bn  c
+6 +9 + 12 + 15 second difference is 3,
so a = 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5
+3 +3 +3
nth term  1.5n 2  bn  c

3  1.5  12  b  1 c and 9  1.5  22  b  2  c

simplifying 1.5  b  c and 3  2b  c
solving simultaneously b  1.5, c  0
3n(n  1)
nth term  1.5n 2  1.5n or nth term 
2