Chapter 5

Sequences and Series

Sequence
A sequence is an infinite list of numbers written in
a definite order.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ......

The numbers in the list are called the terms of the sequence.
How can we figure out the 10th term in this sequence?
How to find a formula for the sequence,
i.e., a formula for how the nth term depends on n.

Different Ways of Writing a Sequence

It's often clearer when writing a sequence to provide a

formula for the nth term immediately.
One method is to include the formula among the list of
terms.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ......, 2 , ......

n

Sometimes, it is convenient to write only the formula for a

sequence.
The convention is that any formula surrounded by braces
specifies a sequence

When talking about a sequence in general, we will write

the terms using variables.

a1 , a 2 , a3 , a 4 , ......, a n , ......
Such a sequence may also be written using braces.

The last of these is the sequence of factorials,

which you may not be familiar with.
The nth term in this sequence (written n!, and pronounced
n factorial) is the product of all the whole numbers
between 1 and n. For example:

Example 1 (See also Textbook 5.1.1, p41)

(i)

72, 92, 112, 132, .

(ii)

13, 17, 21 , 25, .

Fibonacci sequence
{1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ..}.
Let fn denote the nth term, then

f1 = 1,

f2 = 1,

f3 = f2 + f1 = 2,

f4 = f3 + f2,

In general, we have the following recurrence equation (or difference equation)

f n 2 f n f n 1

Fibonacci sequence
{1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ..}.
In general, we have the following recurrence equation (or difference equation)

f n 2 f n f n 1
For interest
It can be shown that

The number 1 5
2

n
n
1 5
1 1 5

fn

2
5 2

is known as the golden ratio.

Example 2
The sequence of real numbers x1 , x2 ,.... is such that x1 1 and x n1 (n 1) x n for
all positive integers n.
Find the values of xn for n = 2, 3 and 4.
Write down an expression for xn in terms of n .

Series and the Sigma Notation

A series is built from a sequence, but differs from it in that the
terms are added together.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ......

is a sequence,

2 4 8 16 32 ......

is a series.

Series and the Sigma Notation

Series: sum of terms of a sequence
Let u1 , u2 , un be a sequence.
Then u1 u 2 un is called the nth partial sum of the sequence
and is denoted by Sn .

Sn u1 u2 un
Result: u1 S1 and u n S n S n 1 for n 2 .

Example 3

Given that the sum of the first n terms of a series

is given by S n n(n 1) , find the first term and
the nth term.

The Sigma Notation

n

u
i m

Since

u m u m 1 u m 2 ... u n
Sn u1 u2 un

we can write S n

u
i 1

Example 4
(i)

i2

(ii)

i 1

r2 1

r 0

(iii)

1 1 1
1
...

99
5 6 7

(iii)

1
1 1 1
...

99
5 6 7

(iv)

2 4 8 16
1024
...
1 2 3 4
10

(v)

1 2 2 3 3 4 ...... to n th term

Fact For any constants ,

n

( u
r m

Example:

100

(3t
t 5

r m

r m

vr ) u r vr

100

100

t 5

t 5

4 t ) 3 t 4 t

Fact For any constant C ,

n

C C (n m 1)
r m

Example 5
It is given that
(i)

4r
n

r 1

r2
r 1

(ii)

1
n( n 1)(2n 1).
6

Find the following

1012 102 2 103 2 ... 200 2

Arithmetic Sequence/Arithmetic Progression (A.P.)

u 1 , u 2 , u 3 ,.....

is an A.P.

a, a d , a 2d ,.....

Arithmetic Sequence/Arithmetic Progression (A.P.)

u 1 , u 2 , u 3 ,.....

is an A.P.

a, a d , a 2d ,.....
u1 a is the first term
d u n u n 1 is the common difference
Note that
x, y and z are three consecutive terms of an
arithmetic progression

yxz y

Example 6

Find the value of x for which 3 , 3 and 3 6

are consecutive terms of an arithmetic sequence.
x 1

Formulae
Let u n and S n denote the nth term and sum of the first n terms of the arithmetic
sequence a, a d , a 2d ,..... respectively

un = a + (n 1)d

n
S n 2a (n 1)d
2
n
S n u1 u n
2
u u1
n n
1
d

Example 7
Find the sum of all multiples of 7 between 100 and 300.

Example 8
Given an arithmetic sequence such that
(i) the fifth term is 41, and
(ii) he sum of the third and fourth term is 70,
find the eighth term of the arithmetic sequence.

Example 9 (See also Textbook 5.2.2, p43)

Sum all the positive terms in the sequence

2016, 1996, 1976, 1956,.

Example 10 (See also Textbook 5.2.3, p43)

Find the value of n such that the sum of the

first n terms of the sequence
lg 3, lg 27, lg 243, ...

first exceeds 150.

Geometric Sequences (Progressions)

Geometric Sequences (Progressions)

Geometric Sequences (Progressions)

The sequence
a, ar, ar2, ar3 ,
is called a geometric sequence (or geometric progression) and is
denoted by G.P.

Example 11
A geometric sequence is given such that
(i) the first term exceeds the third term by 112, and
(ii) the second term exceeds the fourth term by 84.
Find the first term and the common ratio.
Find also the number of terms which exceed 50.

Geometric Sequences (Progressions)

Remark
Sn, the sum of the first n terms of the sequence, is given by
a(1 r n )
Sn
1 r

a(r n 1)
=
.
r 1

Note that
x, y and z are three consecutive terms of an geometric progression

xz y 2

Example 12
1
1 1
123
1
......
4

Sum the series

64 16 4

Example 13 (Textbook 5.3.2, p45)

Find the least n so that the sum of the first n terms of the
geometric sequence

5
6
, 1, ,.....
6
5

exceeds 30.

Example 14

The second, fifth and ninth terms of an arithmetic progression are consecutive terms
of a geometric progression. Find
(i) the common ratio of the geometric progression
(ii) the ratio S20 : S10 , where Sn is the partial sum of the arithmetic progression.

Example 15
A man deposits $x regularly, at the beginning of each year,
in a savings account that earns interests at a rate of r%
compounded annually.
Find in terms of r, x and n the balance in the account at the
end of n years.

Infinite Geometric Series (Sum to infinity)

If the sum to infinity S exists, we say that t he series converges.

Geometric series converges for 1 r 1.

Example 16
Determine whether the following geometric series converge
or diverge (= does not converge). Find the sum to infinity of
any series that converges.
(i)

999 333 111 ....

(ii)

1
1 1
...
32 16 8

(iii) e 2011 e 2010 e 2009

Example 17
The geometric series
1
1

.....
2
x 4 x2

has a sum to infinity. Find the range of values of x.

More on Geometric Series

For a geometric series with first term = 1 and common ratio = x

1
2
1 x x ...... = x r
1 x
r 0

provided 1 x 1

We can use the above result to express certain functions as an

infinite series.

Example 18
Express the following as an infinite series of the form
a 0 a1 x a 2 x 2 ...

giving the first three non-zero terms. In each case,

find the range of values of x for which the series is
valid.
(i)

3
4 5x

(ii)

1 x
2 x