Sequences and series

Find the next four terms of –9, -2, 5, …

Arithmetic Sequence

2  9  5  2  7
7 is referred to as the common difference (d)

Common Difference (d) – what we ADD to get next term

Next four terms……12, 19, 26, 33

Find the next four terms of 0, 7, 14, …

Arithmetic Sequence, d = 7

21, 28, 35, 42

Find the next four terms of x, 2x, 3x, …

Arithmetic Sequence, d = x

4x, 5x, 6x, 7x

Find the next four terms of 5k, -k, -7k, …

Arithmetic Sequence, d = -6k

-13k, -19k, -25k, -32k

Vocabulary of Sequences (Universal)

a1  First term
an  nth term
n  number of terms

d  common difference
Given an arithmetic sequence with a15  38 and d  3, find a1.
x a1  First term
38 an  nth term
15 n  number of terms

-3 d  common difference
an  a1   n  1 d
38  x   15  1  3 

X = 80
Try this one: Find a16 if a1  1.5 and d  0.5
1.5 a1  First term
x an  nth term
16 n  number of terms

0.5 d  common difference

an  a1   n  1 d
a16  1.5   16  1 0.5
a16  9
Find n if an  633, a1  9, and d  24
9 a1  First term
633 an  nth term
x n  number of terms

24 d  common difference
an  a1   n  1 d

633  9   x  1 24

633  9  24x  24
X = 27
Find d if a1  6 and a 29  20
-6 a1  First term
20 an  nth term
29 n  number of terms

x d  common difference
an  a1   n  1 d

20  6   29  1 x

26  28x
13
x
14