Sequences

A sequence is a list of numbers or terms with definite

interval or exact differences. It is often specified by
giving a formula for the general term or nth term,
an. A function whose domain is the set of positive
integers.
Example Find the first four terms for the sequence
n 1
an 
Solution n2
a1  (1  1) /(1  2)  2 / 3, a2  (2  1) /(2  2)  3 / 4

a3  (3  1) /(3  2)  4 / 5, a4  (4  1) /(4  2)  5 / 6
 Sequences
• A finite sequence domain has the finite set
{1, 2, 3, …, n} for some natural number n.
Example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

• An infinite sequence has domain

{1, 2, 3, …}, the set of all natural numbers.
Example 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …
Class work
Name:____________

Write the first five terms of each

sequence.
1.an = 2n + 3 2. an = n3 + 1

3.an = 3(2n ) 4. an = (-1)n (n)

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.
t1 t2 t3 t4 t5

2 5 8 11 14

3 3 3 3
 Find the first term and the
common difference of each
arithmetic sequence.

1.) 4,9,14,19, 24
First term (a): 4
Common difference (d): a2  a1 = 9 – 4 = 5

2.) 34, 27, 20,13,6, 1, 8,....

First term (a): 34
Common difference (d): -7

BE CAREFUL: ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE

SURE THE DIFFERENCE IS THE SAME
BETWEEN EACH TERM !
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 with solutions
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 we can use to give use any term
that we need without listing the whole
sequence .

3, 7, 11, 15, …. We know a = 3 and d = 4

t1= a = 3
t2= a+d = 3+4 = 7
t3= a+d+d = a+2d = 3+2(4) = 11
t4 = a+d+d+d = a+3d = 3+3(4) = 15
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:
an = a1 + (n – 1) d
The last # in the The position
First
sequence/or the # the term is in
term The common
you are looking for
difference
 Find the 14th term of the
arithmetic sequence
4, 7, 10, 13,……

an = a1 + (n – 1) d
a14 = 4  (14  1) 3 You are
 4  (13)3 looking for
the term!
 4  39
 43 The 14th term in this sequence
is the number 43!
Now you try!
Find the 10th and 25th term given the following information. Make sure to derive
the general formula first and then list ehat you have been provided.

a) 1, 7, 13, 19 ….

b) The first term is 3 and the common difference is -21

c) The second term is 8 and the common difference is 3

Answers with solutions
a=1 and d = a2 - a1 = 7 – 1 = 6
a) 1, 7, 13, 19 …. ….
tn=a+(n-1)d = 1 + (n-1) 6 = 1+6n-6 So tn = 6n-5

t10 = 6(10) – 5 = 55
t25 = 6(25)-5 = 145
b) The first term is 3 and the
common difference is -21 a=3 and d = -21

tn=a+(n-1)d = 3 + (n-1) -21 = 3-21n+21 So tn= 24-21n

t10 = 24-21(10) = -186 t25 = 24-21(25) = -501

c) The second term is 8 a=8-3 =5 and d =3

and the common
difference is 3 tn=a+(n-1)d = 5 + (n-1) 3 = 5+3n-3 So tn = 3n+2
t10 = 3(10) +2 = 32 t25 = 3(25)+2 = 77
 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 the
an = a1 + (n – 1) d term! List which variables
from the general term are

a14 = 5  (14  1) -6
provided!

= 5 + (13) * -6
= 5 + -78
= -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?

an = a1 + (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?
a10=33 Use what you know!
a22= -3

an = a1 + (n – 1) d an = a1 + (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, …….

 What is a Geometric Sequence?
• In a geometric sequence, the ratio between
consecutive terms is constant. This ratio is
called the common ratio.
• Unlike in an arithmetic sequence, the
difference between consecutive terms
varies.
• We look for multiplication to identify
geometric sequences.
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
 Important Formulas for
Geometric Sequence:
 Explicit Formula

an = a1 * r n-1

Where:  Geometric Mean

an is the nth term in the
sequence Find the product of
the two values and
a1 is the first term
then take the square
n is the number of the term root of the answer.
r is the common ratio
Find the 19th term in the sequence of
11,33,99,297 . . .

an = a1 * r n-1 Start with the explicit sequence formula

Find the common ratio

Common ratio = 3 between the values.

a19 = 11 (3) (19-1) Plug in known values

a19 = 11(3)18 =4,261,625,379 Simplify

 Let’s try one
Find the 10th term in the sequence of
1, -6, 36, -216 . . .

an = a1 * r n-1 Start with the explicit sequence formula

Find the common ratio

Common ratio = -6 between the values.

a10 = 1 (-6) (10-1) Plug in known values

a10 = 1(-6)9 = -10,077,696 Simplify

 Series and Summation Notation

• Sn is the sum a1 + a2 + …+ an of the first n terms of

the sequence a1, a2, a3, … .

  is the Greek letter sigma and indicates a sum.

n

• The sigma notation  a means add the terms a

i 1
i i

beginning with the 1st term and ending with the nth
term.

• i is called the index of summation.

Arithmetic Series.
Example 1:
Find the sum of the first 20 terms of the
arithmetic series if a1  5 and a20  62

n(a1  an )
Sn 
2
20(5  62)
S 20 
2
S 20  670
 Example 1: n(a1  an )
Sn 
Given a, 1d=-75find S9 2
Solution : S9  a1  (n  1)d
S9  5  (9  1)  7
n 2a1  (n  1)d  S9  51
Sn 
2 n(a1  an )
S9 
9 10  (56)  2
S9  9 5  (51) 
2 S9 
S 20  207 2
S9  207
 Geometric Series.

The sum of the terms in a

geometric sequence.
Example 1:
a1  48 r  2

n7
a1  1
r  2
Example 1:
Find the sum of the first five terms of the geometric sequence in which and

Example 2: Find the partial sum of the geometric sequence for which a1  48 r  2

n7
a1  1
r  2
 11.1 Series and Summation Notation

Summation Properties
If a1, a2, a3, …, an and b1, b2, b3, …, bn are two
sequences, and c is a constant, then, for every positive
integer n,
n n n

(a)  c  nc
i 1
(b)  ca
i 1
i  c ai
i 1

n n n

(c)  (a  b )   a   b
i 1
i i
i 1
i
i 1
i
 11.1 Series and Summation Notation

Summation Rules

n
n(n  1)

i 1
i  1  2  ...  n 
2
n
n(n  1)(2n  1)

i 1
2 2 2
i  1  2  ...  n  2

6
2 2
n
n ( n  1)

i 1
i 3
 13
 2 3
 ...  n 3

4