HARMONIC

SEQUENCE

PREPARED BY:
GINALYN G. RAMOS
HARMONIC SEQUENCE
If a1 , a2, a3,…,an are termsof an
arithmetic sequence, then the
sequence of reciprocals of these
terms, , , …, , is called a
harmonic sequence.
 Example 1

Findthe seventh term of the

harmonic sequence , , …
 Example 2

Findthe fifteenth term of the

harmonic sequence , , ,…,
 Example 3

Inthe harmonic sequence , , ,

… which term is
 Example 4

Find the first term of a harmonic

sequence whose fifth term
 Example 5

Marilyn drives from her home to her

office at a rate of 30 kph. Later, she
returns from her office using the same
route at a rate of 60 kph. What is her
average rate for both trips?
The Harmonic
Mean
 Harmonic mean

If a and b are two positive

numbers, then the harmonic
mean of a and b is given by:
 Example 6

Findthe harmonic
mean of 24 and 12.
 Example 7

If a plane travels at 600 kph

and comes back along the
same route at 400 kph, what is
the average speed for the
entire trip?
 Rule

 The harmonic mean of three numbers m, n, and p

is given by

H=
 Example 8

Findthe harmonic
mean of 3, 4 and 5.
 Fibonacci

One of the most famous problems in elementary mathematics comes from the book of
Liber Abaci by Leonardo of Pisa, a.k.a. Fibonacci.
The problem is as follows:

A man put a pair of rabbit in a cage. During the first month,

the rabbits produced no offspring, but each month thereafter,
produced one pair of rabbits. If each new pair reproduces in the
same manner, how many pairs of rabbits will there be at the end
of one year?

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610

 Definition

General Terms of a Fibonacci- Type Sequence

A Fibonacci-type sequence is a sequence in which the general

term is given by the formula
+,

where and are given. The Fibonacci sequence corresponds to =

 Example 9

If = 6 and = 3, list the

first 8 terms of the
Fibonacci-type sequence.
 Example 10

If and represent any first

numbers, list the first ten
terms of this
Fibonacci- type sequence.
 Example 11

Find the sum of the squares of

the first n Fibonacci numbers for
n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Examine
the pattern and generalize the
relationship obtained.
 Example 12

Given = and =
What is the value of ?
 Vocabulary and Concepts

Fill in the blanks to make the statements true

1. The sixteenth Fibonacci number is 7335 and the
seventeenth Fibonacci number is 11 933. What is
the eighteenth Fibonacci number?

2. If F23 = 28 657 F25 =75 025, F24=_____?

3. If two successive terms of a Fibonacci sequence

are both odd, then the next term is _____.
Practice and Application
 1. A patternestablished involving the terms of the
Fibonacci sequence. Make a conclusion concerning the
next equation in the pattern and verify it.

1. 1=2 -1 2
1+1=3–1 1+3=5–1
1+1+2=5–1 1 + 3 + 8 = 13 – 1
1+1+2+3=8–1 1 + 3 + 8 + 21 = 34 – 1
1 + 1 +2 + 3+ 5 = 13 - 1 1 + 3 + 8 + 21 + 55 = 89 -1
3. 12 + 12 = 2
12 + 22 = 5 4. 22 - 12 = 3
22 + 32 = 13 32 - 12 = 8
32 + 52 = 34 52 - 22 = 21
52 + 82 = 89 82 - 32 = 55

5. 1 = 12
1 - 2 = -12
1 – 2 + 5 = 22
1- 2 + 5 - 13 = -32
1 – 2 + 5 – 13 + 34 = 52
 ii. Answer each problem
 6. Every natural number can be expressed as a sum of Fibonacci numbers,
where no number is used more than once. For example, 25 = 21 + 3 + 1.
Express each of the following in this way:

a. 37 b. 40 c. 52

7. For any prime number, p, except 2 or 5 =, either F or F p-1 is divisible

p+1
by p. Show that this is true for the following values of p.

a. p = 3 b. p = 7 c. p = 11
For each harmonic sequence, find the
nth term. 13. , , 2,…, n =12
 8. , , ,…, n = 7
14. , , ,…, n = 10
 9. , , ,…, n = 10
15. 1, , , …, n = 12
 10., , ,…, n = 9 16. , , , …, n = 9

 11., , ,…, n = 14 17., ,…, n = 10

 12., , ,…, n = 10
Find the harmonic mean of each set of
numbers
 18. 20 and 24
 19. 10 and 5
23. 8, 7, and 8
24. 12, 15, and 17
 20. 15 and 45
25. 10, 20, and 17
 21. 9 and 25 26. 6, 7, 8, and 9
 22. 80 and 100 27. 5, 6, 3, 2, 2, and 9