IB Precalculus
Unit 10 Sequences and Series
Challenge Problems
(No calculator)
In 1-20, state whether the gien sequence is arith!etic, geo!etric, or
neither" In all cases, tr# to $nd an e%&licit 'or!ula 'or t
n
, the nth ter! o' the
sequence, in ter!s o' n"
1"
... , 29 , 25 , 21 , 17
2"
,... 9 , 1 , 7 , 15
("
... , 27 , 18 , 12 , 8
)"
,... 5 . 12 , 25 , 50 , 100
*" ... , , , ,
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
+"
... , 21 , 18 , 15 , 12
,"
... , 52 , 32 , 12 , 8
-"
... , 16 , 9 , 4 , 1
."
... , 10001 , 1001 , 101 , 11
10"
... , , , ,
72 36 18 9
4 3 2
a a a a
11"
... , 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 2 b a a b a b a +
12"
... , , , ,
16
5
9
4
4
3
1
2
1("
1 2
1
1
, 8
n n
t t t 1)"
10 , 6
1 1
+
n n
t t t
1*"
1 2 , 1
1 1
+
n t t t
n n
1+"
( ) 1
1
,
1 2
1
1
+
+
n n
t
n
n
t t
1," ... , 2 , 2 , 2
3 / 8 3 / 5 3 / 2
1-"
... , 2 , 2 , 2 , 2
5 4 3
1."
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
... ,
! 8 7
2 1
,
! 7 5
2 1
,
! 6 3
2 1
,
! 5 1
2 1
4 3 2 1
+ + + +
20"
... ,
! 6
5
,
! 4
5
,
2
5
, 5
6
4
4
3
2
2
x x x
21" /rue or 'alse" I' the sequence a, b, c is
arith!etic, then so is the sequence
c b a sin , sin , sin
"
22" /rue or 'alse" I' the sequence a, b, c is
arith!etic, then the sequence
c b a
2 , 2 , 2 is geo!etric"
2(" /he nu!0ers (, 12, )-, 1.2 'or! a
geo!etric sequence" 1ind the co!!on logarith!s o' these nu!0ers and
eri'# that the# 'or! an arith!etic sequence"
2)" 2%&lain wh# the logarith!s o' the
ter!s o' a geo!etric sequence .... , , , ,
3 2
ar ar ar a 'or! an arith!etic
sequence"
2*" 1ind x i' the sequence
5 3 , 8 , 2 + x
is
(a) arith!etic, (0) geo!etric"
2+" 1ind x i' the sequence x x
2
3
, , 4 is (a)
arith!etic, (0) geo!etric"
2," 1ind x and y i' the sequence
... , 20 , 7 , 2 , y y x y +
is arith!etic"
2-" 1ind x and y i' the sequence ... , , 2 , 2 , 2
2
xy
xy y is geo!etric"
In 2.-(), gie a recursie de$nition 'or the gien sequence"
2."
... , 21 , 17 , 13 , 9
(0"
... , 3 , 9 , 27 , 81
(1"
... , 31 , 15 , 7 , 3 , 1
(2"
... , 677 , 26 , 5 , 2 , 1
(("
... , 21 , 15 , 10 , 6 , 3 , 1
()"
... , 720 , 120 , 24 , 6 , 2 , 1
In (* - +), $nd the gien li!it or state that it does not e%ist"
(*"
n
n
n
5
lim
+
(+"
2
2
1
lim
n
n
n
+
(,"
( )
1
]
1
+
n
n
n
1
1 lim
(-"
1 2
3 4
lim
+
n
n
n
(."
2
2
8
5 3
lim
n
n n
n
+
)0"
7 6
2
lim
5
4
+
n
n
n
)1"
,
_
n
n
1
tan lim
)2"
,
_
n
n
1
sec lim
)("
1
lim
+
n
n
n
))"
1 6
8 5
lim
3 / 2
n
n n
n
)*"
,
_
+
n
n
n
1
log lim
10
)+"
n
n
10 log lim
10
)," ... , , , , ,
243
1
81
1
27
1
9
1
3
1
)-"
... , 36 , 25 , 16 , 9 , 4 , 1
)." ... , , , , , ,
7
8
6
7
5
6
4
5
3
4
2
3
*0"
... , , , , ,
5 4 3 2
10
5
10
4
10
3
10
2
10
1
*1"
,
_
2
cos
n
t
n
*2"
( ) n t
n
sin
*("
n n
n n
n
10
7 5
lim
2
2 / 5
+
*)"
3
5
lim
2 / 1
n
n
n
**"
,
_
n
n
1
log lim
10
*+"
n
n
n
sin
lim
*,"
( )
n
n
n
cos
lim
*-"
n
n
e
lim
*."
( )
n
n
+
4
tan lim
+0"
n
n
2 lim
+1"
,
_
n
n
1
sec log lim
+2"
( ) [ ] 1 1 lim
n
n
+("
3
2 2 2 2
3 2 1
lim
n
n
n
+ + + +
+)"
n
k
n
n
k
1
2
5
lim
3hen each ter! o' a su! cancels &art o' the ne%t ter!, leaing onl#
&ortions o' the $rst and last ter!s at the end, the su! is said to telescope"
In +* - ,0, ealuate the telesco&ing su!"
+*"
,
_
50
1
1
1 1
k
k k
++"
( )
17
5
1
3 3
k
k k
+,"
( )
100
1
1
2 2
k
k k
+-"
( )
,
_
20
2
2 2
1
1 1
k
k k
+."
( )
n
k
k k
a a
1
1
,0"
( )
n
k
k k
a a
1
1
,1" (a) Proe 0# induction 'or all integers
n 4 0,
( ) 1 1
1
4 3
1
3 2
1
2 1
1
+
+
+ +
+
n
n
n n
(0) 5ence, ealuate
( )
+
n
k
n
k k
1
1
1
lim
,2" 2%&ress
5 4 3 2
2 2 2 2 2 1 + + + + +
in sig!a
notation with
(a)
0 j
as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
(0)
1 j
as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
(c)
2 j
as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
,(" 2%&ress ( )
18
4
3
k
k k in sig!a
notation with
(a) 0 k as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
(0) 5 k as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
,)" 2%&ress
+
9
5
4
2
k
k
k in sig!a notation
with
(a) 1 k as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
(0) 13 k as the lower li!it o' su!!ation
,*" Si!&li'#
( )
,
_
28
11
10
sin 10
k
k
k
0# changing the li!its o' su!!ation"
,+" 1or what alues o' x does the
geo!etric series + + +
4
9
2
3
2
1
x x
hae a su!6 3hat is the su! o' the in$nite
series in ter!s o' x6
In ,,--2, 'or what alues o' x does the series conerge (gie an interal)6
Use the ratio test, then use arious tests 'or conergence at the end&oints"
,,"
1
2
n
n
n
x
,-"
( )
1
2
5
1
n
n
n n
n
x
,."
( )
1
4
2
n
n
n
n
x
-0"
( )
( )
+
+
1
! 2
2 2
n
n n
n
x
-1"
( )
1
1 2 !
n
n
x n
-2"
( ) ( )
+
1
3 2
n
n n
n
x
