WEEK 1 - SEQUENCES

SEQUENCE
 Is an unending succession of numbers, called terms.
Would typically written as
where: is the first term,
is the second term,
is the third term, and so on and so forth.
Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , 1, ½, 1/3, ¼, . . . ,
2, 4, 6, 8, . . . , 1, -1, 1, -1, . . . ,
 Sequence
Each of these sequences has a definite pattern known as rule or formula or general
term that make it easy to generate additional terms.
Example:
a) 2, 4, 6, 8, . . . is a sequence having the rule or general formula 2n
since each term is twice the term number.
b) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, . . . is a sequence having the general term

Example 1: In each part, find the general term of the sequence.

a) ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/16, . . . b) ½, 2/3, ¾, 4/5, . . .
 Finding the General Term of the Sequence
Answer to Example 1.
a) ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/16, . . . , , . . .
Solution:
Observe the denominators given in the sequence. It can be expressed as
powers of 2 where their term numbers, 1st term = 2, 2nd term = 22 = 4, 3rd
term = 23 = 8, etc., is the same as the exponents. This suggests that the
denominator of the general term is
 Finding the General Term of the Sequence
b) ½, 2/3, ¾, 4/5, . . . , . . .
Solution:
You may notice that the numerator of the four known terms is the same as
their term numbers (say 1st term = 1, 2nd term = 2, 3rd term = 3, and 4th
term = 4) and their denominators is one greater than their term numbers.
Thus, if we let n be the numerator and n + 1 be the denominator, the
sequence can be expressed as .
 Exercise 1
1. In each part, find the general term of the sequence, starting with n =1.
 Limit of a Sequence
Since sequence are functions, it has also limits.

Sequence whose terms approach limiting values are said to converge.

A sequence that does not converge to some finite limit is said to diverge.

Example 1. Evaluate
Solution: (indeterminate)
transforming the given function by dividing the numerator and denominator by
n, the results are:
. Thus converge
 Limit of a Sequence
2. Evaluate: )
Solution:
) = (diverges)
3. Determine whether the sequence, onverge.
Solution:
onverges.
 Limit of a Sequence
4. Determine whether the sequence onverge.
Solution:
diverge
 Exercise 2
Evaluate the limit of the following sequence:
 Monotone Sequence
A sequence is called
- strictly increasing if
- increasing if
- strictly decreasing if
- decreasing if

A sequence that is either increasing or decreasing is said to be monotone,

and a sequence that is either strictly increasing or strictly decreasing is
said to be strictly monotone.
 Monotone Sequence
Examples: Determine if the following sequence is monotone or strictly monotone.

Solution: Begin by letting

Then assign n = 1, 2, 3 in the given sequence, to get the first three terms and observe the
obtained values.

If n = 1, Since s strictly increasing. Then the

sequence is strictly monotone.
If n = 2,

If n = 3,
 Monotone Sequence

Solution: let
By assigning n = 1, 2, and 3 in the given sequence, the values obtained
are: ;

Since s strictly decreasing. Then the sequence is strictly monotone.

 Monotone Sequence
3. 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, . . .
Solution:
Based from the sequence given, it can be seen that

It is therefore concluded that the sequence is increasing and not strictly

increasing. The sequence is said to be monotone.
 Monotone Sequence

Solution:
Based from the above sequence, it can be noted that

Thus, the sequence is decreasing and not strictly decreasing. The

sequence is said to be monotone.
 Exercise 3
Determine if the following sequence is monotone or strictly monotone.

1.