Finding the Sequence

Given Its General

Term
1) Find the first four
terms of the sequence
defined by a = 6n +
5. n
2) a n= 5n + 6, first 3
terms
3) What is the 9th term
of the sequence
defined by a
=(4n+1)/(2n+3)?
n

4) a n=(5n-3)/(6n+2) ,
11th term
5) Find the first three
terms of the sequence
defined by a = 3n –
5n. n 2
6) a n= 3n 2 + 4n – 2, first
two terms
7) Find the first 3 terms
defined by
2
a =√n
n +4n-3.
8) a n 2
=√2n -3n+2, first
two terms
Finding the General
Term of a Given
Sequence
 an = dn + (a 1– d)
1) 4, 5, 6, 7, …
2) 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, …
3) 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, …
4) -2, -4, -6, …
5) 2/3, ¾, 4/5, 5/6, …
6) 9/2, 7/5, 5/8, 3/11, …
7) √7, √11, √15, √19, …
Arithmetic
Sequence
A sequence in which term after
the first is formed by adding a
fixed number to the preceding
term is called an arithmetic
sequence.
 The fixed number or
constant is called the
common difference
denoted by d.
Each number in a sequence
is called a term.
The nth term a n of an arithmetic
sequence is given by
a n= a 1+ (n – 1) d
where:
• a n is the nth term of the
sequence;
• a 1 is the first term of the
sequence; and
• d is the common difference.
Example 1.
Find the 15th term of the arithmetic
sequence 3, 5, 7, 9, …
Step 1: Find the common difference.
Step 2: Evaluate using the formula:
a = a + (nn – 1)
1d
Step 3: Check. Continue the
sequence.
Ex. 2.
In the arithmetic sequence 4, 10, 16,
… find the 98th term.
Ex. 3.
In the arithmetic sequence
-23, -15, -7, … find the 112th term.
Ex. 4.
3, 7/2, 4, …
Find the 8 term.
th

Ex. 5.
8/3, 7/3, 2, …; 11 term.
th
Let us try!

1. 2, 5, 8, …; 9 term
th

2. 3, 5 7, …; 20 term
th

3. 5, 11, 17, …; 9 term

th

4. 26, 22, 18, …; 40 term

th

5. 1, ½, 0, …; 16 term
th
Ex. 4.
The 3rd term of an arithmetic sequence
is 8 and the 16th term is 47. Find d, a
and the 71st term.
1
Ex. 5.
The 25th term of an arithmetic is
-58 while the 49th term is -130. Find the
following: d, a and1the 100th term.
Finding the General or the
nth Term of an Arithmetic
Sequence
Example 1.
Let’s say we have 7, 9, 11, 13, 15,
…

S1. Find d.
S2. Substitute using
n the
1
formula: a = a + (n - 1) d
S3. Simplify.
Example 2.
1, 4, 7, 10, ...
S1. Find d.
S2. Substitute using the
formula: a = n
a 1+ (n - 1) d
S3. Simplify.
Example 3.
14, 6, -2, -10...

Example 4.
1, 1/2, 0, -1/2, ...
Example 5.
√7, √13, √19, √25,
…
Example 6.
√19, √15, √11, √7,
…
2 5 8 11
Arithmetic Means
 Arithmetic Mean
– given two numbers b and c and a whole number
k, we can insert k number a , a , …, a between
1 2 b k
and c such that b, a , a …, a , c form
1 an
2 arithmetic
k
sequence.
The numbers a , a1 ,…,2 a kare called k arithmetic
means between b and c.
The mean or arithmetic mean is the most commonly
used for average.
Ex. 1. What is the arithmetic mean of
15 and 31.
15, 23 , 31
Use the formula:
𝒂 𝟏+ 𝒂𝟑
𝒂 𝟐=
𝟐
Ex. 2. Insert three (3) arithmetic
means between 16 and 32.
16, 20 ,24 ,28 , 32.
S1. Solve for d using the formula:
𝒂 𝒏=𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎
𝒂𝒏 − 𝒂𝟏 𝒂 = 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎
𝒅= 𝟏
𝒏−𝟏 𝒏=𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒔
S2. Add d to each term.
Ex. 3. Insert two (2) arithmetic means
between 27 and 36.
27, 30 , 33 , 36.
S1. Solve for d using the formula:
𝒂𝒏 − 𝒂𝟏
𝒅=
𝒏−𝟏

S2. Add d to each term.

Ex. 4. Insert three (3) arithmetic
means between 24 and 56.
24, 32 , 40 ,48 , 56.
S1. Solve for d using the formula:
𝒂 𝒏=𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎
𝒂𝒏 − 𝒂𝟏 𝒂 = 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎
𝒅= 𝟏
𝒏−𝟏 𝒏=𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒔
S2. Add d to each term.