Summation of n terms of a G.P.

S = a + ar + ar2 + + arn-1

r×S = ar + ar2 + + arn-1 +arn

subtract

S (1 –r) = a - arn = a (1 - rn)

𝒂(𝒓𝒏 − 𝟏ሻ
if 𝒓 ≠ 1
S= 𝒓−𝟏

na if r = 1
 Sum of infinite terms of G.P

If 0  |r|  1 and n → , then rn → 0

 in this case geometric series will be summable upto infinity

𝒂
𝑺∞ = ; 𝟎 < |𝒓| < 𝟏
𝟏−𝒓
Example
Find the sum of series:
0.15 + 0.015 + 0.0015 + … to 8 terms

Solution

( 𝟏 − (𝟎. 𝟏ሻ𝟖 ሻ
Ans.
𝟔
Example
The sum of an infinite number of terms of a G.P. is 15 and the sum
of their squares is 45. Find the series.

Solution

𝟏𝟎 𝟐𝟎 𝟒𝟎
Ans. 𝟓, , , ,…
𝟑 𝟗 𝟐𝟕
Example
How many terms of the series 2 + 6 + 18 + …. Must be taken to
make the sum equal to 728?

Solution

Ans. 6
Example
Find the sum of the following series to infinity:
1 – 1/3 + 1/32 – 1/33 + 1/34 + … ∞

Solution

Ans. 3/4
Properties of G.P.
 Properties of G.P.

If each term of a G.P. be raised to the same power (say k), then
resulting series is also a G.P. whose common ratio is k raised
to the power of original common ratio.

𝒂,
𝒂 𝒂𝒓, 𝒂𝒓𝟑, … … … , 𝒂𝒓𝒏−𝟏
𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝟐,𝒂𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 = 𝒓

( )𝟐 , ( )𝟐, ( )𝟐, ( )𝟐 , … … … ,( )𝟐 𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒘 = 𝒓𝟐

𝒌
𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒘 = 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍
 Properties of G.P.

If each term of a G.P. Is multiplied or divided with a non zero

number, result will be G.P. with same common ratio.

𝟑 , 𝟔 ,𝟏𝟐
𝟏𝟐 , 𝟐𝟒 , 𝟒𝟖 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 = 𝟐

( ) 530
515 ( ) 5120
( ) 560 ( )5240
( ) 𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒘 = 𝟐

𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒘 = 𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍
 Properties of G.P.

If 𝒂1, 𝒂2, 𝒂3 … … … and 𝒃1, 𝒃2, 𝒃3, … … … be two G.P.'s of common

ratio 𝒓1 and 𝒓2
𝒂 𝟏 𝒂𝟐 𝒂𝟑
respectively, then 𝒂1𝒃1, 𝒂2𝒃2, 𝒂3𝒃3 … … … and , , , … … …
𝒃𝟏 𝒃𝟐 𝒃𝟑
𝒓𝟏
will also form a G.P. whose common ratio will be 𝒓1.𝒓2 and
𝒓𝟐
respectively.

GP1 : 2, 4, 8, 16, …. 𝒓𝟏 = 𝟐

GP2 : 3, 9, 27, 81, …. 𝒓𝟐 = 𝟑

GP1 × GP2 : 6, 36, 216, …. 𝒓=𝟔

GP1 : 2
2, 4,
4 8,
8 16, …. 𝒓𝟏 = 𝟐

GP2 : 3
3, 9,
9 27
27, 81, …. 𝒓𝟐 = 𝟑

: , , ,….
 Properties of G.P.

If 𝒂1, 𝒂2, 𝒂3… … … 𝒂𝒏 is a G.P. of positive terms, then

𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟏 , 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟐 , … … … , 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒏 is an A.P. whose common
difference is equal to log (common ratio) and vice-versa.

Let 𝒂𝟏 , 𝒂𝟐 , 𝒂𝟑 , … … … 𝒂
, 𝒏 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆.𝐏.
𝒂 𝟐 𝒂𝟑 𝒂𝟒 𝒂𝒏
= = = ……… =𝒓
𝒂 𝟏 𝒂𝟐 𝒂𝟑 𝒂𝒏−𝟏

Taking log both sides

𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟐 − 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟏 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒓
𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟑 − 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟐 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆
𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟒 − 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝟑 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒓
Example
Find k such that k + 9, k – 6 and 4 form three consecutive terms
of a G.P.

Solution

Ans. k = 0, 16
Example
Three numbers are in A.P., and their sum is 15. If 1, 3, 9 be added
to them respectively, they form a G.P. find the numbers.

Solution