Arithmetic Progression (A.P.)
Find
A sequence of numbers is in A.P. if any number
after the first is obtained by adding a fixed number
to the one immediately preceding it. The fixed
number that is added is called the common
difference, d.
Example: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17
Formulas for A.P.
d = a2 - a1 = a3 - a2 = a4 - a3 = ...
an = a1 + (n - 1)d or an = am + (n - m)d
n n
Sn = ( a1 + an ) or Sn = [ 2 a1 + (n - 1)d ]
2 2
Geometric Progression (G.P.)
A sequence of numbers is in G.P. if any number
after the first is obtained by multiplying a fixed
number to the one immediately preceding it. The
fixed number that is multiplied is called the
common ratio, r.
Example: 2, 6, 18, 54, 162, 486
Formulas for G.P.
a a a thereafter the fine is increased by P8,000. If the
r = 2 = 3 = 4 = ...
a1 a2 a3
an = a1r n-1 or an = amr n-m
a (1 - r n ) a (r n - 1)
Sn = 1 or Sn = 1
1-r r -1
Where: an = nth term usually the last term
am = a term after a1 but before an
Sn = sum of n terms
Product of the first n terms of G.P.
𝑃! = 𝑎" ! × 𝑟 !(!$")/'
Infinite Geometric Progression (I.G.P.)
A G.P. in which -1 ≤ r ≤ 1, r ≠ 0 and n = ∞
a1
Sn =
1-r
Harmonic Progression (H.P.)
A sequence of numbers are in H.P. if their
reciprocals form an A.P.
Example: 1/2, 1/5, 1/8, 1/11, 1/14, 1/17
Relationship between Arithmetic Mean, Harmonic
Mean, and Geometric Mean of Two Numbers
GM2 = AM ´ HM
Problems:
1. How many three-digit numbers are not
divisible by 3? Answer: 600
2. A contractor who does not meet the deadline
on the construction of a building is fined
P40,000 per day for each of the first ten days of
extra time, and for each additional day
contractor is fined P1,008,000, by how many
extra days was the construction delayed?
Answer: 18
3. The numbers 28, x + 2, 112 are the first three
terms in a GP. What is the 31st term?
Answer: 30,064,771,070
4. Find the sum of a sequence of four positive
numbers, the first of which is 6 and the fourth
of which is 16, if the first three numbers form
an AP and the last three numbers form a GP.
Answer: 43
5. The arithmetic mean of two numbers is 7.5 &
their harmonic mean is 4.8. Find their
geometric mean. Answer: 6
6. A rubber ball is dropped from a height of 9m
and each time it strikes the ground, it bounces
to a height 2/3 of that from which it falls.
the total distance travelled by the ball before it
comes to rest. Answer: 45 m
7. If the 1st, 5th and the 8th terms of an AP will form
a GP, what would be the common ratio of this
GP? Answer: 3/4
8. For a known GP, a1 = 5/21 and r = 1.2. Calculate
the product of the first 21 terms. Ans: 3,465.98
9. From a tank filled with 240 gallons of alcohol,
60 gallons are drawn off and the tank is filled
up with water. Then 60 gallons of the mixture
are removed and replaced with water, and so
on. How many gallons of alcohol remain in the
tank after 5 drawings of 60 gallons each are
made? Answer: 57 gallons
10. Let {xn} be an AP such that x4 + x7 + x10 + x20 +
x23 + x26 = 444. Find the sum of the first 29 terms
of {xn}. Answer: 2146 gallons
For Practice:
1. Determine x so that x, 2x + 7, 10x – 7 will be a
geometric progression. Answer: 7; -7/6
2. Find the harmonic mean between 3 & 11.
Ans: 33/7
3. A cask containing 20 liters of wine was emptied
of one-fifth of its contents and then filled with
water. If this is done 20 times, how many liters
of wine will remain in the cask? Answer: 0.2306 li
4. The arithmetic mean of two numbers exceeds
their geometric mean by two. Find the numbers
if one is 40 less than the other. Answer: 81 & 121
5. Insert three arithmetic means between 11 & 14.
Answer: 11.75, 12.5, 13.25
6. Find the common ratio of an IGP in which any
term is thrice the sum of the succeeding terms.
Answer: 1/4
7. A besieged fortress is held by 5,700 men who
have provisions for 66 days. If the fortress loses
20 men each day, for how long will the
provisions hold out? Answer: 76 days
8. The first three terms in AP are 20, 16 and 12. and the sum of their squares is 364, find their
Which term is -96? Answer: 30th term product.
9. In a display window a grocer wishes to place 18. A small boy was assisted by his older brother
boxes of detergent in pyramid form so that the to ride a swing in the park. His kuya made his
bottom row contains 15 boxes, the next row first swing to pass through an arc of 18 m. With
contains 14 boxes, the next row contains 13 each swing, the small boy passes through an arc
boxes, and so on, with one box on top. How 2/3 of the length of arc of the previous swing.
many boxes of detergent are necessary for the What is the total distance the small boy
pyramid? Answer: 120 travelled when he waited for the swing to stop
10. Find the 8th term in the following series of before he disembark? Answer: 54 m
numbers: 6, 7, 11, 20, 36, ... Answer: 146 19. A given sequence is defined as follows: an+1 − an
11. The arithmetic mean of two numbers is 37 and = 3n. If the 1st term is equal to 1, find the 10th
their geometric mean is 35. What is the term. Answer: 29,524
difference between their harmonic mean and 20. The sum to infinity of
geometric mean? Answer: 1.892 1 2 1 2
+ + + +⋯
12. Insert 4 numbers between the roots of the 7 7' 7( 7)
equation 32x2 – 825x +2187 = 0 so that they is: Answer: 3/16
would make a geometric progression.
Calculate the sum of all the terms. Ans: 1995/32
13. An equilateral triangle is inscribed within a
circle whose diameter is 12 cm. In this triangle
a circle is inscribed; and in this circle, another
equilateral triangle is inscribed; and so on
indefinitely. Find the sum of the areas of all the
triangles. Answer: 62.35 cm2
14. Benjie set out on a bike at the rate of 6 km/hr.
After Benjie had gone 2 hours, Jerwin set out to
overtake him and went on a bike 4 km the 1st
hour, 5 km the 2nd hour, 6 km the 3rd hour, and
so on, gaining 1 km every hour. After how
many hours were they together?
Answer: 8 hrs of Jerwin
15. The sum of three numbers is 7 and the sum
their reciprocals is 7/5. If these three numbers
form into a GP, find their product. Ans: 11.18
16. The sequence a, b, c is an AP and the sequence
a, b, c + 1 is in GP. If a = 1, find the value of c.
Answer: 3
17. Three real numbers are in geometric
progression. If The sum of the numbers is 26