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MTH001 Elementary Mathematics

LECTURE # 13

SEQUENCE:

A sequence is just a list of elements usually written in a row.

EXAMPLES:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...

4, 8, 12, 16, 20,...

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ...

1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, ...

1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ...

1, -1, 1, -1, 1, -1, ...

NOTE:

The symbol "..." is called ellipsis, and reads "and so forth"

FORMAL DEFINITION:

A sequence is a function whose domain is the set of integers greater than or equal to a

particular integer n0.

Usually this set is the set of Natural numbers {1, 2, 3, ...} or the set of whole numbers {0, 1,

2, 3, ...}.

NOTATION:

We use the notation an to denote the image of the integer n, and call it a term of the

sequence. Thus

a1, a2, a3, a4 ..., an, ...

represent the terms of a sequence defined on the set of natural numbers N.

Note that a sequence is described by listing the terms of the sequence in order of increasing

subscripts.

FINDING TERMS OF A SEQUENCE GIVEN BY AN EXPLICIT FORMULA:

An explicit formula or general formula for a sequence is a rule that shows how the values of

ak depends on k.

EXAMPLE:

Define a sequence a1, a2, a3, ... by the explicit formula

ak =

for all integers k ≥ 1

k +1

The first four terms of the sequence are:

a1 =

= , a2 =

= , a3 =

1+1 2

2 +1 3

3 +1 4

and fourth term is a4 =

4 +1 5

EXAMPLE:

Write the first four terms of the sequence defined by the formula

bj = 1 + 2j, for all integers j ≥ 0

SOLUTION:

b0 = 1 + 20 = 1 + 1 = 2

b1 = 1 + 21 = 1 + 2 = 3

b2 = 1 + 22 = 1 + 4 = 5

b3 = 1 + 23 = 1 + 8 = 9

REMARK:

The formula bj = 1 + 2 j , for all integers j ≥ 0 defines an infinite sequence having infinite

number of values.

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MTH001 Elementary Mathematics

EXERCISE:

Compute the first six terms of the sequence defined by the formula

= 1+ (-1) n for all integers n ≥ 0

SOLUTION :

C0 = 1 + (-1) 0= 1 + 1 = 2

C1 = 1 + (-1)1 = 1 + (-1) = 0

C2 = 1 + (-1)2 = 1 + 1 = 2

C3 = 1 + (-1)3 = 1 + (-1) = 0

C4 = 1 + (-1)4 = 1 + 1 = 2

C5 = 1 + (-1)5 = 1 + (-1) = 0

REMARK:

(1)If n is even, then Cn = 2 and if n is odd, then Cn = 0

Hence, the sequence oscillates endlessly between 2 and 0.

(2)An infinite sequence may have only a finite number of values.

EXAMPLE:

Write the first four terms of the sequence defined by

(-1)n n

Cn =

for all integers n ≥ 1

n +1

SOLUTION:

(-1)1 (1) -1

(-1)2 (2) 2

(-1)3 (3) -3

C1 =

= , C2 =

= , C3 =

1+1

2 +1

3 +1

(-1)4 (4) 4

And fourth term isC4 =

4 +1

REMARK:A sequence whose terms alternate in sign is called an alternating sequence.

EXERCISE:

Find explicit formulas for sequences with the initial terms given:

0, 1, -2, 3, -4, 5, ...

SOLUTION:

an = (-1) n+1n for all integers n ≥ 0

11 11 11 1

1 - , - , - , - ,L

22 33 44 5

SOLUTION:

bk =

for all integers n ≥ 1

k k +1

2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56, ...

SOLUTION:

Cn = n (n + 1) for all integers n ≥ 1

1/4, 2/9, 3/16, 4/25, 5/36, 6/49, ...

SOLUTION:

di =

for all integers i ≥ 1

(i + 1)2

j +1

dj =

for all integers j ≥ 0

( j + 2)2

ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE:

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MTH001 Elementary Mathematics

A sequence in which every term after the first is obtained from the preceding term by adding

a constant number is called an arithmetic sequence or arithmetic progression (A.P.)

The constant number, being the difference of any two consecutive terms is called the

common difference of A.P., commonly denoted by "d".

EXAMPLES:

5, 9, 13, 17, ...

(common difference = 4)

0, -5, -10, -15, ...

(common difference = -5)

x + a, x + 3a, x + 5a, ...

(common difference = 2a)

GENERAL TERM OF AN ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE:

Let a be the first term and d be the common difference of an arithmetic sequence. Then the

sequence is a, a+d, a+2d, a+3d, ...

If ai, for i ≥ 1, represents the terms of the sequence then

a1 = first term = a = a + (1-1) d

a2 = second term = a + d = a + (2-1) d

a3 = third term = a + 2d = a + (3 -1) d

By symmetry

an = nth term = a + (n - 1)d for all integers n ≥1.

EXAMPLE:

Find the 20th term of the arithmetic sequence

3, 9, 15, 21, ...

SOLUTION:

Here a = first term = 3

d = common difference = 9 - 3 = 6

n = term number = 20

a20 = value of 20th term = ?

n ≥1

Since an = a + (n - 1) d;

∴

a20 = 3 + (20 - 1) 6

= 3 + 114

= 117

EXAMPLE:

Which term of the arithmetic sequence

4, 1, -2, ...,

is -77

SOLUTION:

Here a = first term = 4

d = common difference = 1 - 4 = -3

an = value of nth term = - 77

n = term number = ?

Since

n ≥1

an = a + (n - 1) d

⇒

- 77 = 4 + (n - 1) (-3)

⇒

- 77 - 4 = (n - 1) (-3)

-81

= n -1

-3

27 = n 1

n = 28

Hence 77 is the 28th term of the given sequence.

EXERCISE:

Find the 36th term of the arithmetic sequence whose 3rd term is 7 and 8th term is 17.

SOLUTION:

Let a be the first term and d be the common difference of the arithmetic sequence.

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MTH001 Elementary Mathematics

Then

n≥1

an = a + (n - 1)d

⇒

a3 = a + (3 - 1) d

and

a8 = a + (8 - 1) d

Given that a3 = 7 and a8 = 17. Therefore

7 = a + 2d........................(1)

and 17 = a + 7d........................(2)

Subtracting (1) from (2), we get,

10 = 5d

⇒

d=2

Substituting d = 2 in (1) we have

7 = a + 2(2)

which gives a = 3

Thus, an = a + (n - 1) d

an = 3 + (n - 1) 2

(using values of a and d)

Hence the value of 36th term is

a36 = 3 + (36 - 1) 2

= 3 + 70

= 73

GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE:

A sequence in which every term after the first is obtained from the preceding term by

multiplying it with a constant number is called a geometric sequence or geometric

progression (G.P.)

The constant number, being the ratio of any two consecutive terms is called the common

ratio of the G.P. commonly denoted by "r".

EXAMPLE:

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ...

(common ratio = 2)

3, - 3/2, 3/4, - 3/8, ...

(common ratio = - 1/2)

0.1, 0.01, 0.001, 0.0001, ... (common ratio = 0.1 = 1/10)

GENERAL TERM OF A GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE:

Let a be the first tem and r be the common ratio of a geometric sequence. Then the

sequence is a, ar, ar2, ar3, ...

If ai, for i ≥ 1 represent the terms of the sequence, then

a1 = first term = a = ar1-1

a2 = second term = ar = ar2-1

a3 = third term = ar2 = ar3-1

..................

an = nth term = arn-1; for all integers n ≥ 1

EXAMPLE:

Find the 8th term of the following geometric sequence

4, 12, 36, 108, ...

SOLUTION:

Here a = first term = 4

12 = 3

r = common ratio =

n = term number = 8 4

a8 = value of 8th term = ?

Since an = arn-1;

n≥1

8-1

⇒

a8 = (4)(3)

= 4 (2187)

= 8748

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MTH001 Elementary Mathematics

EXAMPLE:

Which term of the geometric sequence is 1/8 if the first term is 4 and common ratio ½

SOLUTION:

Given a = first term = 4

r = common ratio = 1/2

an = value of the nth term = 1/8

n = term number = ?

Since an = arn-1

n≥1

n-1

⎛1⎞

⇒

= 4⎜ ⎟

⎝ 2⎠

n-1

1 ⎛1⎞

⇒

=⎜ ⎟

32 ⎝ 2 ⎠

n-1

⎛1⎞ ⎛1⎞

⇒

⎜ ⎟ =⎜ ⎟

⎝ 2⎠ ⎝ 2⎠

⇒

n -1 = 5

⇒n=6

Hence 1/8 is the 6th term of the given G.P.

EXERCISE:

Write the geometric sequence with positive terms whose second term is 9 and fourth term is

SOLUTION:

Let a be the first term and r be the common ratio of the geometric sequence. Then

an = ar n-1

n ≥1

2-1

Now

a2 = ar

⇒

9 = ar......................(1)

a4 = ar4-1

Also

1 = ar 3

.....................(2)

Dividing (2) by (1), we get,

1 ar 3

9 ar

⇒

= r2

⎛

1⎞

⇒

rejecting r = - ⎟

⎜

3⎠

⎝

Substituting r = 1/3 in (1), we get

⎛1⎞

9 = a⎜ ⎟

⎝ 3⎠

⇒

a = 9 × 3 = 27

Hence the geometric sequence is

27, 9, 3, 1, 1/3, 1/9, ...

SEQUENCES IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING:

An important data type in computer programming consists of finite sequences known as

one-dimensional arrays; a single variable in which a sequence of variables may be stored.

EXAMPLE:

The names of k students in a class may be represented by an array of k elements "name"

as:

name [0],

name[1],

name[2], ..., name[k-1]

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