GE2204

Problem Solving with Patterns

Problem solving with patterns involves recognizing and using recurring structures or relationships in
data or situations to solve problems efficiently and make informed decisions.

Term of a Sequence

Sequence
A “sequence” is an ordered list of numbers, objects, or events that follow a specific pattern or rule. Sequences
can have finite or infinite terms and are used in various mathematical and scientific contexts to represent data,
patterns, or progressions.

Term
It refers to a single item or element within a sequence, expression, equation, or mathematical statement. It is a
fundamental unit that contributes to the overall meaning or value of the mathematical context in which it is used.
Terms can be numbers, variables, constants, or a combination of these elements, depending on the specific
mathematical expression or equation in question.

For example, in the sequence “2, 4, 6, 8, 10,” each number (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) is a term, and you can refer to them
as the first term, second term, third term, fourth term, and fifth term, respectively.

Difference Table
It is often used in mathematics to identify patterns, predict future terms in the sequence, or find the nth term.
Here’s an example of a difference table:

5–2=3
8–5=3
11 – 8 = 3
14 – 11 = 3
Therefore 3 is the common difference in this sequence

Nth Term: Finding the First 5 Numbers in a Sequence

To find the first 5 numbers of a sequence given its nth term, you can simply substitute values of n from 1 to 5
into the nth term formula. This will give you the corresponding values for the first 5 terms of the sequence. Let’s
use an example to illustrate this:

Example Nth Term = 2n + 3

To find the first 5 numbers of this sequence, we’ll substitute n values from 1 to 5 into the formula:

a¹= 2(1) + 3 = 2 + 3 = 5
a²= 2(2) + 3 = 4 + 3 = 7
a³= 2(3) + 3 = 6 + 3 = 9
a⁴= 2(4) + 3 = 8 + 3 = 11
a⁵= 2(5) + 3 = 10 + 3 = 13

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 GE2204

Nth Term of Sequence

Nth term of a sequence is a formula or expression that represents the value of a specific term in that sequence.
It allows you to determine the value of any term in the sequence by substituting the position or index (n) of the
term into the formula. Represented as “an = a¹ + (n – 1)d,” where “an” is the Nth term, “a¹” is the first term, and
“d” is the common difference

Example 1: Sequence 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, … The common difference (d) is 7. To find the nth term, you can use
the formula:

Nth term (an) = a + (n – 1)d

First term (a) = 7

Common difference (d) = 7
The nth term formula for this sequence is:

Nth term (an) = 7 + (n – 1)7

Nth term (an) = 7n

Fibonacci Sequence
Fibonacci sequence is a well-known mathematical sequence that starts with 0 and 1, and each subsequent term
is the sum of the two preceding ones. It begins as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …

This is the formula to find a term in the Fibonacci sequence “Fn = F(n-1) + F(n-2)”
n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fn 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144
For example, find the 10th term in the Fibonacci sequence
Fn = F(n – 1) + F(n – 2)
F¹⁰ = F (10 – 1) + F(10 – 2)
F¹⁰ = F9 + F8 = 34 + 21
F¹⁰ = 55

Fibonacci Number General Formula (Binet’s Formula)

Binet's Formula is a closed-form expression to calculate the nth term of the Fibonacci sequence without having
to go through the recursive process.

Example

=233

References:
Ashley Vivero (2023)

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