Sequences and

Series
CBSE, ClassXI
MADE BY SANJEEV

Sequence
A sequence is an ORDERED list of objects
Different from sets (in sets order does not
matter)
The set A = {1,2,3,4,5} is equal to B =
{5,4,3,2,1} because each element of A B
and each of B A
The sequences S = 1,2,3,4,5 and T =
5,4,3,2,1 are different because ordering
matters
Ordering=>wecanrefertonth element of a Sequence
Wecansay5thelementofasequenceofintegers
Elementcanoccurmultipletimesunlikeforaset

Examples of Sequences
A finite sequencehas finite number of terms: e.g.
5,4,3,2,1
If a sequence is not finite it is called an infinite
sequence
-1,1,-1,1,-1,1,-1,... first element is -1, second is
1, and nth element is -1 to the power n
3,6,9,12,15,18... The nth element is 3*n
2,4,8,16,32,... The nth element is 2 to the
power n

Arithmetic Progressions
A sequencewhere, other than first term
every term = previous term + common
difference
Notation:
a = first term
L = last term
d = common difference
S(n) = sum to n terms (Note: Slightly different
notation from NCERT text)

General Term of Arithmetic

Progression

1st Term = a = a + (1-1)*d

2nd Term = a + d = a + (2-1)*d
3rd Term = a + 2d = a + (3-1)*d
kth Term = a + (k-1)*d

If the series has n terms, then Last term is nth term

and so
last term = L = a + (n-1)*d

Example:
First + Last Term = 80 for an AP with large no. of
terms
What is (a) Sum of 2nd term + last but 1 term
(b) Sum of 3rd term + last but 2 term
2nd Term
= First Term + common diff.
Last but 1 Term
= Last Term common diff.
2nd + Last but 1 Term = First Term + Last Term
3rdTerm=2ndTerm+commondiff.
Lastbut2Term=Lastbut1Termcommondiff.
3rd+Lastbut2Term=2ndTerm+Lastbut1Term
=FirstTerm+LastTerm
So answer must be 80 for both questions.

Summing Arithmetic
Progressions
AP has the property
first term + last term=
2ndterm + last but 1 term=
3rd term + 2nd before last term= a + (a+(n-1)*d) =
(a+L)

1.normal sum = first+ second + ... + last

2.reverse sum = last+ last but 1 + ... + first
3.normal + reverse = (first + last) +
(second + last but one) + ... +

(last + first)
4.normal + reverse = (first + last term)*(number of
terms)
5.normal sum*2 = (first + last term)*(number of
terms)

Example: A.N. Kolmogorov at

Age 5

Worked outsum of first n odd numbers for

school journal
first odd number = 1 = first term
2nd odd number = 3 = 1 + (2-1)*2
nth odd number = 1 + (n-1)*2 = last term
1,3,5,7,...till 1+(n-1)*2 is an AP with common
difference 2
Summing this series yields an interesting answer
Sum = [first term + last term]*(number of
terms)/2
[1 + {1+(n-1)*2}]*n/2 = [1+1+2n-2]*n/2 =
n*n
1+3 = 2*2;

Example: Average of an AP
The first term of AP is 11 andlast is 56. We are not
given
( a )common difference
( b ) number of terms
Can we find the average? Yes
Sum of AP
= [Average of AP ]*{number of
terms}
SumofAP=[first+lastterm]*{numberofterms}/2
Average of AP = [first + last term]/2(True For
ANY AP)
So any AP starting with 11 and ending with 56 has
average = (11+56)/2 = 33.5. This includes
AP1 = 11,16,21,26,31,36,41,46,51,56
AP2 = 11,56
AP3 = 11,12,13,....56

Example: 3 Consecutive terms of

AP
Lets call the terms left, middle and right.
Call the common difference d
Since they are in AP we know
1. middle = left+ dor left = middle d
2.
right =middle+d
3.
left + right = 2*middle
4.
left+middle+right

= 3*middle

Example: Diff. of 2 terms of an

APterm
kth
= a + (k-1)*d
jth term
= a + (j -1)*d
kth term - jth term =
(k j)*d
depends only on d and (k-j)
it does NOT depend on
k and j but only on the difference k-j
first term (a)
15th term - 10th term = (15 -10)*d = 5d
10th term - 5th term = (10 - 5)*d = 5d
7th term - 2nd term = ( 7 - 2)*d = 5d
If 18th term - 10th term is 45, what is 20th term 4th term?
90. (20-4)d = 16d = 2*(18-10)d=2*45

Arithmetic Mean (AM) of 2

Numbers
Given
two numbers, the AM = 1/2 the sum
Example: Given 11,17 Arithmetic Mean =
(11+17)/2 = 14.
A.M. has some interesting properties
1. If the two numbers are equal, they are also equal
to AM
2. In case numbers are different
AM is greater than smaller of the two numbers
AM is lesser than larger of the two numbers
AM - smaller number = larger number - AM =
constant
Smaller number, AM, larger number are in AP
with common difference = constant in above
equation

Create AP between 2 terms

Given first and last term, insertn terms to form AP
AP = first term, first term + d, first term + 2d, ....
last term
Figure outthe common difference d
1. We know[last term - first term]
2. n terms between first and last meanslast term is
n+2th
3. In previous e.g., {n+2th term - first term} =
(n+2-1)*d
4.d = [last term - first term]/(n+1)
Insert 9 terms between 2 and 122 so that they
are in AP

Adding a constant to each term

of AP
Call
kth term of old AP, with common difference d,
old(k)
old(k) = old(k-1) + d or old(k)-old(k-1) = d
Call kth term of new series as new(k)
Given thatnew(k) = old(k) + constant
But is new series an AP? Yes, because
1. new(k) = old(k) + constant
2. new(k-1) = old(k-1) + constant
3. new(k)-new(k-1) = old(k)-old(k-1) = d
4. new(k)
= new(k-1)+d
5. new is AP with same common difference d as
old AP

Multiplying a const. to each

term
Call
kth of
termAP
of old AP, with common difference d,
old(k)
old(k) = old(k-1) + d or old(k)-old(k-1) = d
Call kth term of new series as new(k)
Given thatnew(k) = old(k) * constant
But is new series an AP? Yes, because
1. new(k) = old(k) * constant
2. new(k-1) = old(k-1) * constant
3. new(k)-new(k-1) = [old(k)-old(k-1)]*constant =
d*constant
4. new(k)
= new(k-1)+{d * constant}
5. new is AP with common difference=d*constant

Geometric Progressions (GP)

AP: any term = previous term+common
difference (d)
GP: any term = previous term*common ratio (r)
Above defines AP and GP for all terms except the
first
AP: Kth term = (k-1)th term + d
GP: Kth term = (k-1)th term * r
Examples of GP:
1,2,4,8,16,32,64 Common ratio (r) = 2
1,1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16/,1/32 Common ratio (r) = 1/2

Nth term of GP
A bank pays annual interest of i% on the entire balance
Deposit principal P at beginning of year and no
withdrawals
What is his balance at beginning of each year?
1st year = P
2nd year = P*(1+i)
3rd year = P*(1+i)*(1+i)
4th year = P*(1+i)*(1+i)*(1+i) = P*[(1+i) ]3
nth year = P*[(1+i) ]n-1
For a GP beginning with a and common ratio r
nth term = a * [ r ]n-1
Note: nth term = (n-1)th term * r

Sum to n terms of GP
If r is 1, every term = first term,sum = n * first term =
n*a
S(n) =(a) +(a*r)+(a*r*r)+ ...(a*rn-1)
S(n)*r =

(a*r)+(a*r*r)+ ...(a*rn-1) + (a*rn)

1. every term in RHS of S(n) is in S(n)*r except (a)

2. S(n)*r has additional term (a*rn)
3. S(n)*r = S(n)-a + (a*rn)
4. S(n)*[r-1] = a*[ rn - 1 ]
= [last term*
r first]
=[1/(r-1)]*[lastterm*r

5. S(n)

= {a/(r-1)} * [ rn - 1 ]

Doesnt depend on n

first]

Although Last term a*rn-1

Sum depends on
rn

Example: Summing a GP and Nth

Term
1+2+4+8+... to n terms. This GP has interesting
properties

S(n)
= 1/(r-1)*[(last term * r) first term]
r=commonratio=2
So(1/(r-1))=1
firstterm=1
S(n) = {(last term * 2)-1 }
1+2
= ( 2*2) 1 = 3
1+2+4
= ( 4*2) 1 = 7
1+2+4+8
= ( 8*2) 1 = 15
1+2+4+8+16 = ( 16*2) - 1 = 31
1+2++512 = (512*2) 1 = 1023

Example: 3 Consecutive terms of

GP
Call these the left term, middle term, and right term
middle term = left term * r
left term
= middle term / r
right term = middle term * r
left term * right term = middle term * middle term
Product of these three terms is
P = (left term)*(middle term)*(right term)
P = cube of the middle term
Also, (middle term/left term) = (right term/middle term)
= r

Example: Ratio of any 2 terms of

GP
kth term = a * rk
jth term = a * rj
kth term/jth term = r (k-j)
Observe that the ratio depends on
r
kj
Ratio does not depend on
the first terma
individual values of k, j but depends only onk-j
So for example, for any GP, ratio of
18th Term/7th term = r11
27th Term/16th term = r11

Create GP between 2 terms

Given first and last term, insertn terms to form GP
GP = first term, first term*r, first term*r*r, .... last
term
Figure outthe common difference ratio r
1. We know[last term - first term]
2. n terms between first and last meanslast term is
n+2th
3. In previous e.g., {n+2th term/first term} = r (n+21)

4.r = [last term/first term]

(1/[n+1])

Insert 3 terms between 3 and 243 so that they are

in GP

Geometric Mean (GM) of 2

Numbers

GM is square root of the product of the two given

numbers
Example: Given 4,9 GM = square root of 36 = 6
G.M. has some interesting properties
1. If the two numbers are equal, they are also equal
to GM
2. In case numbers are different, call them Big, Small
GM
= sqrt(Big*Small)
GM/Small = sqrt(Big*Small)/Small =
sqrt(Big/Small) > 1
GMisgreaterthanSmall
Big/GM=Big/sqrt(Big*Small)/=sqrt(Big/Small)>1
GMislesser thanBig

Relationship Between GM and

AM
Two numberssand L,both >= 0, AM = (s+L)/2,GM =
sqrt(s*L)
If both numbers are equal AM = GM = s = L
If not lets call the larger of the two numbers L
If s is really small, say s = 0, GM = 0 but AP = L/2 > 0
So we guess that AM >= GM
AM-GM = (s+L)/2 - sqrt(s*L)
= [s + L - 2*sqrt(s*L))] /2
= [sqrt(L) - sqrt(s)] /2
The RHS of last equation is >=0 so AM-GM >=0