Sequence

A sequence is an ordered list of numbers.

There can be a limited number or an infinite
number of terms in a sequence.

𝒂𝟏 , 𝒂𝟐 , 𝒂𝟑 , 𝒂𝟒 …𝒂𝒏 …

Example:
𝟏, 𝟒, 𝟕, 𝟏𝟎, … 𝟑𝒏 − 𝟐, …
A finite sequence is a function that has a limited
number of terms and whose domain is the finite
set 1,2,3, … , 𝑛 . The values in the range are
called terms of the sequence.

Domain: 1 2 3 4 … n

Range: 𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 … 𝑎𝑛
A infinite sequence is a function that continues
without stopping and whose domain is the set
of positive integers.
Examples:
Finite: 2, 4, 6, 8 Infinite: 2,4,6,8,…

A sequence can be specified by an equation, or

rule.
For example, both sequence above can be
describe by the rule 𝑓 𝑛 = 2𝑛 or 𝒂𝒏 = 𝟐𝒏
If the general term of a sequence is given by
(−1)𝑛
𝑎𝑛 = find the following:
3𝑛

a. the first term of the sequence

b. 𝑎8
c. The one-hundredth term of the sequence
d. 𝑎15
Finding the general term of the sequence
suppose we know the first few terms of a
sequence and want to find a general terms that
fits the pattern of the first few terms

1, 4, 9, 16, …

General term: 𝒂𝒏 =
Finding the general term of the sequence
Practice:
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
a. 𝟏, , , , , …
𝟐 𝟑 𝟒 𝟓

b. −𝟑, −𝟔, −𝟗, −𝟏𝟐, …

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
c. , , , ,…
𝟐 𝟒 𝟖 𝟏𝟔
Problems involving sequence:
1. The amount of weight in pounds gains in each
month of its first year is modeled by a sequence
2𝑛+8
whose general term is 𝑎𝑛 = , where 𝑛 is the
1.2
number of month. Write the first five terms of the
sequence and find how much the weight the puppy
should gain in its fifth month.
2. The value 𝑣, in pesos, of an office copier
depreciates according to the sequence 𝑣𝑛 =
𝑛
3950(0.8) , where 𝑛 is the time in years. Find the
value of the copier after 36 months.
 Quiz:
½ crosswise
Avoid erasures
Fill in the correct terms to complete each
statement.
1. The 𝑛 𝑡ℎterm of the sequence 𝑎𝑛 is called the
____ term.
2. A(n) ____ sequence is a function whose
domain is {1,2,3,4, … 𝑛} where 𝑛 is some
natural number.
3. A(n) ____ sequence is a function whose
domain is {1,2,3,4, …}.
Find the first 3 terms of each sequence
𝑛−1
1. 𝑎𝑛 = 7
(−1)𝑛
2. 𝑎𝑛 =
4𝑛
4 4
3. 𝑎𝑛 = (−1) ∙ 𝑛
Solve:
The distance, in feet, that a Thermos dropped from a
cliff falls in each consecutive second is modeled by a
sequence whose general term is 𝑎𝑛 = 32𝑛 −
16, where 𝑛 is the number of seconds. Find the
distance the Thermos falls in the second, third and
fourth seconds.
Arithmetic Sequence and Series
A sequence in which the difference between
successive terms is a constant is called
arithmetic sequence. The constant is
referred to as common difference, denoted
𝒅.
𝟐𝟕, 𝟑𝟗, 𝟓𝟏, 𝟔𝟑 …
Common difference of 12
Next three terms are 75, 87, 99
 𝟐𝟕, 𝟑𝟗, 𝟓𝟏, 𝟔𝟑, 75, 87, 99 …

What will be the 20th term of the sequence?

What will be the 35th term of the sequence?

𝒏𝒕𝒉 term of an arithmetic sequence

 𝒕𝒉
𝒏 term of an arithmetic sequence
(General term)

𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑

𝟐𝟕, 𝟑𝟗, 𝟓𝟏, 𝟔𝟑, 75, 87, 99 …

𝒂𝟐𝟎 =?
𝒂𝟑𝟓 =?
𝒂𝟐𝟎 = 𝟐𝟕 + 𝟐𝟎 − 𝟏 𝟏𝟐 𝒂𝟑𝟓 = 𝟒𝟑𝟓
𝒂𝟐𝟎 = 𝟐𝟓𝟓
𝑾𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒔:

Find both an explicit and recursive formula for

𝑡ℎ
the 𝑛 term of the arithmetic sequence
12, 21, 30, …
 Find both an explicit and recursive formula
for the 𝑛𝑡ℎ term of the arithmetic sequence
12, 21, 30, …
We find first the common difference (𝑑 = 9)

For explicit formula, we use 𝑑 = 9, 𝑎1 = 12

𝑡ℎ
and substitute to the formula of the 𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑎𝑛 = 12 + 𝑛 − 1 9
𝑎𝑛 = 9𝑛 + 3
For recursive formula, state the first term
𝑎1 and then indicate the next term is the
sum of the previous term 𝑎𝑛−1 and d
12, 21, 30, …

𝑎1 = 12, 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛−1 + 9

12 𝑖𝑓 𝑛 = 1
ቊ
𝑎𝑛−1 + 9 𝑖𝑓 𝑛 > 1
Find both an explicit and recursive formula
𝑡ℎ
for the 𝑛 term of the arithmetic sequence
35, 23, 11, …
𝑑 = −12

explicit formula, 𝑑 = 12, 𝑎1 = 35

𝑎𝑛 = 35 + 𝑛 − 1 (−12)
𝑎𝑛 = 47 − 12𝑛
Find both an explicit and recursive formula
for the 𝑛𝑡ℎ term of the arithmetic sequence
35, 23, 11, …
recursive
𝑎1 = 35, 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛−1 − 12

35 𝑖𝑓 𝑛 = 1
ቊ
𝑎𝑛−1 − 12 𝑖𝑓 𝑛 > 1
Exercise:
1. Find the 68th term of the arithmetic
sequence 25, 17, 9,…
2. Find the first term of the arithmetic
3
sequence for which 𝑎25 = 139 and 𝑑 =
4
3. Find the 38th term of the arithmetic
sequence −29, −2, 25, …
4. Find 𝑑 of the arithmetic sequence for
which 𝑎1 = 75 and 𝑎38 = 56.5
If two nonconsecutive terms of an arithmetic
sequence are known, the terms between
them can be calculated. These terms are
called 𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠.
In the sequence

−3, 7, 17, 27, 37,47, 57

17, 27, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 37 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠

between 7 and 47
Exercise:
1. Write an arithmetic sequence that has 4
arithmetic means between 4.3 and 12.8

2. Write an arithmetic sequence that has 4

arithmetic means between 12.4 and -24.7
Arithmetic Series
An arithmetic series is the indicated sum of
the terms of an arithmetic sequence

Sequence Series
-6, -3, 0, 3, 6 −6 + (−3) + 0 + 3 + 6
4.25, 4, 3.75, 3.5 4.25 + 4 + 3.75 + 3.5
𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , 𝑎3 , 𝑎4 , … 𝑎𝑛 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 + 𝑎3 + 𝑎4 , … +𝑎𝑛
Sum of a finite arithmetic series
The sum of a finite series with 𝑛 terms or the
𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑚 of an arithmetic series can
be found using one of the two related
formula
𝒏
𝑺𝒏 = (𝒂𝟏 + 𝒂𝒏 )
𝟐
𝒏
𝑺𝒏 = (𝟐𝒂𝟏 + 𝒏 − 𝟏 𝒅)
𝟐
Find the indicated sum of each arithmetic
series
a. −5 + 2 + 9 + ⋯ + 317
b. The 28th partial sum of 27 + 14 + 1 + ⋯
c.
A video game tournament, in which gamers
compete in multiple games and accumulate an
overall score, pay the top 20 finishers. First place
receives PhP 5000, second place receives PhP
4800, third place receives PhP 4600 and so on.
How much total prize money is awarded?
Carter has been collecting basketball cards since
his father gave him a 20-card collection. During
each month, Carter’s father gives him 5 more
cards than the previous month. In how many
months will Carter reach 1000 cards?