

#SOLVING SEQUENCES SERIES#
There are different formulas associated with an arithmetic series used to calculate the n th term, sum, or the common difference of a given arithmetic sequence. For the calculation using the arithmetic sequence formulas, first identify the first term, the number of terms and the common difference of the sequence. The first term is a, the common difference is d, n = the number of terms.

What is the Arithmetic Sequence Formula?Īn arithmetic sequence is of the form: a, a + d, a + 2d, a + 3d.up to n terms. Let us understand the arithmetic sequence formula using solved examples. If we want to find any term/the sum of terms in the arithmetic sequence then we can use the arithmetic sequence formula. The arithmetic sequence is the sequence where the common difference remains constant between any two successive terms. The arithmetic sequence formula is used for the calculation of the n th term and sum of an arithmetic progression. If the term-to-term rule for a sequence is to multiply or divide by the same number each time, it is called a geometric sequence, eg 3, 9, 27, 81, 243. If the position is \(n\), then this is \(2 \times n + 1\) which can be written as \(2n + 1\). To get from the position to the term, first multiply the position by 2 then add 1. Write out the 2 times tables and compare with each term in the sequence. In this sequence it's the 2 times tables. This common difference gives the times table used in the sequence and the first part of the position-to-term rule. In this case, there is a difference of 2 each time. įirstly, write out the sequence and the positions of the terms.Īs there isn't a clear way of going from the position to the term, look for a common difference between the terms. Work out the \(nth\) term of the following sequence: 3, 5, 7, 9. If the position is \(n\), then the position to term rule is \(n + 4\). In this example, to get from the position to the term, take the position number and add 4 to the position number.

#SOLVING SEQUENCES HOW TO#
Next, work out how to go from the position to the term. įirst, write out the sequence and the positions of each term. Work out the position to term rule for the following sequence: 5, 6, 7, 8. The first five terms of the sequence: \(n^2 + 3n - 5\) are -1, 5, 13, 23, 35 Working out position-to-term rules for arithmetic sequences Example

Write the first five terms of the sequence \(n^2 + 3n - 5\). (Notice how this is the same form as used for quadratic equations.) Any term of the quadratic sequence can be found by substituting for \(n\), like before. The \(nth\) term of a quadratic sequence has the form \(an^2 + bn + c\). \(5n − 1\) or \(-0.5n + 8.5\) are the position-to-term rules for the two examples above.Īrithmetic sequences are also known as linear sequences because, if you plot the position on a horizontal axis and the term on the vertical axis, you get a linear (straight line) graph. The position-to-term rule (or the \(nth\) term) of an arithmetic sequence is of the form \(an + b\). If the term-to-term rule for a sequence is to add or subtract the same number each time, it is called an arithmetic sequence, eg:Ĥ, 9, 14, 19, 24.
