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MATHEMATICS
SEQUENCE & SERIES
ARITHMETIC SEQUENCES
An arithmetic sequence or series is a linear number pattern in which the first difference is
constant (d)
The general term formula allows you to determine any specific term of an arithmetic
sequence.
And the sum of formula determines the sum of a specific number of terms of an arithmetic
series.
GENERAL/N-TERM/LAST TERM(Tn)
First common difference: d = Tn – Tn—1
d = T 2 – T1
d = T 3 – T2
More useful if variables are given/ and if the unknown must be calculated
GENERAL TERM : Tn = a+(n—1)d
Tn : general / last term
a : first term
n : number of terms
d : constant difference
given the last term: implies that Tn is given and you can calculate the first term or number of
terms
we can determine the number of terms in a sequence by equating Tn to the last Term’s value and
solving for n :
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IF OTHER TERMS ARE NOT GIVEN USE THE FOLLOWING:
T1 = a
T2 = a + d
T3 =a + 2d
Example: if term number 5 is equal to 20: T5 = a + 4d =20
NB: hence solving simultaneously
Tn : the value of the specific term
n : number of the term in a sequence and
n : is a counting number (the position of n-th term in the sequence)
n : cannot be negative
PROBLEM: 4
X ; 4X+5 ; 10X—5 are the first three terms of an arithmetic sequence.
Determine the value of x and hence the sequence.
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PRACTICE QUESTIONS
2. Determine the 38th term for each of the following arithmetic sequences:
a) –4; --8; --12;……
b) 2;--1,5;--5;…….
c) 99; 88; 77;
𝟐𝟏 𝟗
d) 6; ; ;…….
𝟒 𝟐
e) Tk = 3k—4
f) Tk = --2k+5
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ARITHMETIC SERIES
Series terms are separated by + or – sign
When we add the terms of a sequence together, we form a series
We use the symbol Sn to show the sum of the first n terms of the series.
So Sn = T1 + T2 + T3 + T4 +……………..+Tn
PROOF: ARITHMETIC SERIES (METHOD 1)
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PROOF: ARITHMETIC SERIES (METHOD 2)
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QUESTION 6
a) How many terms of the arithmetic sequence 3 ; 11 ; 19 ;………… will add up to 1580 ?
b) How many terms of the arithmetic sequence --3 ; 2 ; 7 ;……….. will add up to 1089 ?
c) Determine n if: 4 + 13 + 22 + ……….(to n terms) = 539
QUESTION 7
An athlete trains by running 600 metres on the first day, 900 metres on the second, 1200 metres on
the third and so forth.
a) How far does he run on the 15th day ?
b) What is the total distance that he will run in 15 days?
c) How long will it be before he can run a marathon of 42km?
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PROBLEM 1
Consider the geometric sequence 2 ; 3 ; 4,5 ; 6,25 ;……..
a) determine a formula for the general term of the sequence.
b) Find the value of the 15th term.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Determine the general term for each of the following geometric sequences:
𝟏
a) 2 ; --1 ; 𝟐 ;…………
b) 2 ; 8 ; 32 ;…………..
𝟐
c) − 𝟑 ; 2 ; --6 ;……..
d) 𝟏 ; 0,2 ; 0,04 ;………
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QUESTION 2
Determine the 9th term for each of the following geometric sequences:
a) 128 ; 64 ; 32 ;……..
b) 0,25 ; 0,5 ; 1 ;……
𝟒 𝟏
c) 𝟗
; 𝟏 𝟑 ; 4 ;……
𝟐 𝟑
d) ; --1 ; ;…..
𝟑 𝟐
2 6−𝐾
e) TK = (3 3)
1 𝐾−1
f) TK = (2400 2)
QUESTION 3
a) Which term of the geometric sequence 2 ; 6 ; 18 ;……. Is equal to 4374?
𝟑 𝟑 𝟑
b) Determine the number of terms in the sequence − 𝟖 ; 𝟒 ; − 𝟐 ;……….;192
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GEOMETRIC SERIES
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PROOF: GEOMETRIC SERIES (METHOD 2)
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PROBLEM 1
𝟐
find the sum of the first 12 terms of the series + 2 + 6 + ………
𝟑
PROBLEM 2 (Finding the sum when the number of terms is not known at first)
Calculate the sum of the following finite series 0,25 + 0,5 + 1 + 2 + ……. + 256
PROBLEM 3
How many terms of the geometric sequence --1 ; 2 ; --4 ; 8 ;….. will add up to 349 525?
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PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Determine the sum of each geometric series (use an appropriate formula):
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
a) 𝟐𝟕
+ 𝟗
+ 𝟑 + ………. to 9 terms
b) – 𝟔𝟒 + 32 -- 16 + …… to 10 terms
QUESTION 2
𝟏 𝟏
Calculate the sum of the first 12 terms of the geometric sequence ;− ; 1 ; ………
𝟒 𝟐
QUESTION 3
𝟏
a) How mmany terms are there in the series --64 –32 –16 -- ………. − 𝟑𝟐
b) What is the sum of the series?
QUESTION 4
𝟓
Evaluate: --9 --6 --4 -- …… −𝟏
𝟐𝟕
QUESTION 5
𝟏
a) How many terms of the geometric sequence 64 ; 32 ; 16 ; ………. Will add up to 𝟏𝟐𝟕 𝟐
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟑𝟔𝟒
b) How many terms of the geometric sequence 𝟐𝟕
; 𝟗 ; 𝟑 ; ……….. yield a sum of 𝟐𝟕
?
c) Determine n if: 3 + 6 + 12 + ………(to n terms) = 765
QUESTION 6
Mr Deeds gives his son R1 on his 1st birthday, R2 on his 2nd birthday, R4 on his 3rd birthday, R8 on his
4th birthday and so forth.
a) How much will he give his son on his 18th birthday ?
b) Find the total amount of money he will have given him by that stage?
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3.2 consider the geometric series where ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝑇 𝑛 = 27 and S3 =26
Calculate the value of the constant ratio (r) of the series . (4)
PROBLEM 4
𝟏 𝟐
The constant ratio of a geometric series is −𝟐 𝟐 . the sum of the first four terms is 𝟏𝟕 𝟓 . calculate the
first term.
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𝟑
8.2. the 2nd term is 3 and the 4th term is 𝟔 .
𝟒
QUESTION 9
The 9th term and the 6th term of an geometric sequence are 80 and 10 respectively.
a) Find the first term and the constant ratio.
b) Find the number of terms if the last term is 5120.
QUESTION 10
𝟏𝟓 𝟓 𝟒𝟎
If T3 =𝟏𝟔 , T6 = 𝟏𝟖 and the last term is 𝟕𝟐𝟗 , find the number of terms in the sequence if the sequence is
geometric.
QUESTION 11
In a geometric sequence, T6 = --243 and T3 = 72 . determine:
a) The constant ratio.
b) The sum of the first 10 terms.
QUESTION 13
𝟏 𝟓
The constant ratio of a geometric sequence is − 𝟐 . the 8th term of the same sequence is − 𝟑𝟐 .
determine the sum of the first 8 terms.
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CONVERGENT & DIVERGENT
CONVERGES SERIES
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PROBLEM 1
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
Calculate the sum to infinity of the geometric series 𝟐
+ 𝟒 + 𝟖 + ……..
PROBLEM 2
Convert the recurring decimal 2,53 into a common fraction.
PROBLEM 3
Consider the infinite geometric series p + p(p+1) + p(p+1)2 +………..
a) For what values of p will the series converge ?
b) Assuming the series is convergent, calculate the sum to infinity.
PROBLEM 4
A convergent geometric series has a second term of 8 and a sum to infinity of 36. Determine the
possible constant ratio(s).
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Find the sum of each of the following infinite geometric series:
𝟐 𝟐
a) 2 + + + ………
𝟑 𝟗
b) –64 + 32 – 16 + ……
𝟐
c) 24 – 4 +
𝟑
QUESTION 2
Convert each of the following recurring decimals to a common fraction by first writing it as a
geometric series.
a) 0,23
b) 4,2
c) 0,54
QUESTION 3
For which values of x will the following geometric series converge?
a) 1 + (2x+1) + (2x+1)2 +……….
b) (2 – x) + (2 –x)2 + ( 2 – x)3 +………..
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EXAM QUESTIONS
EX 1
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EX 02
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EX 03
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EX 04
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EX 05
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