Presentation on Arithmetic Progression
Karthik A M
Class X
1. Introduction to Arithmetic Progression
What is an Arithmetic Progression (AP)?
• An AP is a group of numbers arranged in
a definite order following a rule
(sequence).
• Each term is related to its
predecessor/successor by a uniform law.
Examples:
1. 2, 4, 6, 8,... (AP, +2)
2. 2, 4, 16, 256,... (Not AP)
3. 3, 7, 11, 15,... (AP, +4)
4. 5, 8, 6, 15,... (Not a sequence)
2. Elements of an AP - Terms and Common
Difference
Terms of an AP:
• Numbers in the sequence are terms.
Common Difference (d):
• Constant difference between two
consecutive terms.
• d = t₂ - t₁ = t₃ - t₂ = t₄ - t₃ ...
Examples:
• 1, 4, 6, 8,...: d = 2
• 2, 4, 8, 12,...: d = 4
• 8, 5, 2, -1,...: d = -3
• 0, -3, -6, -9,...: d = -3
3. Identifying an AP and its Characteristics
How to identify an AP:
• If the difference between consecutive terms
is constant → it's an AP.
Example: 12, 8, 4, 0
→ Differences: -4, -4, -4 → AP
Characteristics based on 'd':
• d > 0 → Increasing AP (e.g. 5, 7, 9,...)
• d < 0 → Decreasing AP (e.g. 18, 16, 14,...)
• d = 0 → Constant AP (e.g. a, a, a,...)
4. The General Term (nth Term) of an AP
• nth term: Value at position 'n' in the AP,
denoted tₙ or aₙ.
• Formula: tₙ = a + (n - 1)d
where:
a = first term
n = position
d = common difference
• Derived from:
t₂ = a + d = a + (2–1)d
t₃ = a + 2d = a + (3–1)d
... and so on.
5. Examples - Calculating the nth Term
Example 1:
• t₅ = a + 4d
• t₈ = a + 7d
Example 2:
• Sequence: 9, 5, 1, -3...
a = 9, d = -4, n = 20
t₂₀ = 9 + 19×(-4) = -67
Example 3:
• tₙ = 2n - 3 → AP = -1, 1, 3, 5...
6. Sum of n Terms of an AP - Introduction
• Sum of first n terms = S
Formula 1: (if last term l known)
S = n/2 (a + l)
Formula 2: (if common difference d known)
S = n/2 [2a + (n - 1)d]
• Formula 2 is derived from formula 1 by
using: l = a + (n - 1)d
7. Conceptual Derivation for Sum of n Terms
Write the sum in two ways:
S = a + (a + d) + (a + 2d) + ... + l
S = l + (l - d) + (l - 2d) + ... + a
Add both:
2S = n(a + l) → S = n/2 (a + l)
8. Example - Calculating Sum of n Terms
Find sum of: 8, 4, 0, -4, -8,... (n = 10)
a = 8, d = -4
S = 10/2 [2×8 + 9×(-4)] = 5[16 - 36] = -100
9. Example - Finding Sum from Given Terms
Given: t₄ = 8 → a + 3d = 8
t₆ = 14 → a + 5d = 14
Solving:
→ d = 3, a = -1
S₄₀ = 40/2 [2(-1) + 39×3] = 20[115] = 2300
10. Key Takeaways
• AP = sequence with constant difference
'd'
• General term: tₙ = a + (n - 1)d
• Sum of n terms:
- S = n/2 (a + l) [if l is known]
- S = n/2 [2a + (n - 1)d] [if d is known]
• Essential values: a, d, n, l