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Progression
A progression (which is also known as a sequence) is nothing but a pattern of
numbers. For example, 3, 6, 9, 12, ... is a progression because there is a
pattern observed where every number here is obtained by adding 3 to its
previous number. But this pattern doesn't need to be the same in every
progression.

The pattern of a progression depends on its type. Let us see the types of
progressions along with examples and their formulas.

What is the Definition of a Progression?

Progression is a list of numbers (or items) that exhibit a particular pattern. A

progression is also known as a sequence. In a progression, every term is
obtained by applying a specific rule on its previous term. In other words, every
term of a progression is defined by a general term (or) nth term, which is
denoted by an.
For example, the nth term of a progression 3, 5, 7, 9, ... is an = 2n + 1.
Substituting n = 1, 2, 3, ... here, we get the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, .... terms. For example:
 When n = 1, first term = 2(1) + 1 = 3.
 When n = 2, second term = 2(2) + 1 = 5.
 When n = 3, third term = 2(3) + 1 = 7
and so on.
Types of Progressions

There are mainly 3 types of progressions in math. They are:

 Arithmetic Progression (AP)

 Geometric Progression (GP)
 Harmonic Progression (HP)
Each type of progression along with a simple definition and example is
tabulated below.

Progression Definition Example

The differences between any

Arithmetic 1, 4, 7,
two consecutive numbers are
Progression (AP) 10, ...
all same.

The ratios of any two

Geometric 4, 16, 64,
consecutive numbers are all
Progression (GP) 256, ...
same.

Harmonic The reciprocals of terms form 1/2, 1/4,

Progression (HP) an AP. 1/6, ...

We will learn about each progression in detail in thsne upcoming sections.

Arithmetic Progression

An arithmetic progression (AP) is a sequence of numbers in which each

successive term is the sum of its preceding term and a fixed number. This
fixed number is called the common difference. For example, 1, 4, 7, 10, ... is
an AP as every number is obtained by adding a fixed number 3 to its previous
term.
 2nd term = 4 = 1 + 3 = 1st term + 3
 3rd term = 7 = 4 + 3 = 2nd term + 3
 4th term = 10 = 7 + 3 = 3rd term + 3
and so on.

In general, an arithmetic progression looks like this:

Here,

 'a' is the first term and

 'd' is the common difference (fixed number)

Arithmetic Progression Example

For example, Minnie put $30 in her piggy bank when she was 7 years old.
She increased the amount she put in her piggy bank on each successive
birthday by $3. So, the amount in her piggy bank follows the pattern of $30,
$33, $36, and so on. The succeeding terms are obtained by adding a fixed
number, that is, $3. This fixed number is called the common difference (It can
be positive, negative, or zero). Hence the progression 30, 33, 36, ... is an AP.
Arithmetic Progression Formulas
Let the first term of the progression be a, the common difference be d, and the
nth term be an. Then, the arithmetic progression formulas are given by:
 an = a + (n - 1) d
 d = an - an-1
 Sum of the first n terms, Sn = n/2(2a+(n-1)d) (or) Sn = n/2(a + l), where l = the last term = Tn.

Geometric Progression

A geometric progression (GP) is a sequence of numbers in which each

successive term is the product of its preceding term and a fixed number. This
fixed number is called the common ratio. For example, 4, 16, 64, 256, ... is a
GP as every number is obtained by multiplying a fixed number 4 to its
previous term.
 2nd term = 16 = 4(4) = 4(1st term)
 3rd term = 64 = 4(16) = 4(2nd term)
 4th term = 256 = 4(64) = 4(3rd term)
and so on.
In general, a geometric progression looks like this:

Here,

 'a' is the first term and

 'r' is the common ratio (fixed number)

Geometric Progression Example

Consider an example of a geometric progression: 1, 4, 16, 64, ... Observe that

4/1 = 16/4 = 64/16 = ... = 4. All the ratios are same. Hence it is a GP.

Geometric Progression Formulas

Let the first term of the progression be a, the common ratio be r, and the
nth term be an. Then, the geometric progression formulas are given by:
 aₙ = arn - 1
 Sum of the first 'n' terms, Sₙ = a(rn - 1) / (r - 1) when r ≠ 1 and Sₙ = na when r = 1.
 Sum of infinite geometric series, S∞ = a / (1 - r) when |r| < 1 and S∞ diverges when |r| ≥ 1.
Harmonic Progression

A harmonic progression is a sequence obtained by taking the reciprocal of the

terms of an arithmetic progression. The sequence of natural numbers is an
arithmetic progression. So, taking reciprocals of each term we get
1,1/2,1/3,1/4,... This is harmonic progression.
Harmonic Progression Example

When a ball is dropped, the initial height reached by the ball is 1/2 units and
after the first impact, the height attained by the ball is 1/4 units. After the
second impact, the height attained by the ball is 1/6 units. After the third
impact, the height attained by the ball is 1/8 units, and so on. Now the
sequence of heights formed by the ball is: 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, ...

This sequence is a harmonic progression because the reciprocal of all the

terms of this progression form an arithmetic progression.
 Reciprocal of the sequence: 2, 4, 6, 8, ... → AP
 Hence, the sequence: 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, ... → HP

Harmonic Progression Formulas

For a harmonic progression 1/a, 1/(a+d), 1/(a+2d), ...

 nth term, an = 1 / (a + (n - 1) d)
 Sum of the first n terms, Sn = 1/d ln [ (2a + (2n - 1) d] / (2a - d) ]

Important Notes on Progression:

 In an arithmetic progression, each successive term is obtained by adding the common

difference to its preceding term.
 In a geometric progression, each successive term is obtained by multiplying the
common ratio to its preceding term.
 The reciprocal of terms in harmonic progression form an arithmetic progression.
Examples on Progression

 Example 1: What is the 10th term of the sequence 1, 3, 9, 27, ...?

Solution:

Observe that 3/1 = 9/3 = 27/9 = ... = 3.

Hence, the given sequence is a geometric progression (GP) where the first term is a =
1 and the common ratio is r = 3.
The formula for nth term of a GP is,
aₙ = arn - 1
For 10th term, substitute n = 10.
a10 = 1(3)10 - 1 = 39.
Answer: The tenth term = 39.

 Example 2: Which term of the AP 3, 8, 13, 18, ... is 73?

Solution:

In the given arithmetic progression,

 First term, a = 3
 Common difference, d = 8 - 3 = 13 - 8 = 18 - 13 = ... = 5.
th
Let its n term = 73.

a + (n - 1) d = 73

3 + (n - 1) 5 = 73

3 + 5n - 5 = 73

5n - 2 = 73

5n = 75

n = 15

Answer: 73 is the 15th term of the given AP.

 Example 3: The 6th term and the 11th terms of a harmonic progression are 10 and 18
respectively. Find the common difference of the associated AP.

Solution:
 From the given information, the 6th and 11th terms of the corresponding AP are 1/10
and 1/18 respectively. Let 'a' be the first term and 'd' be the common difference of the
associated AP.
Then using the nth term formula of AP,

a + 5d = 1/10 ... (1)

a + 10d = 1/18 ... (2)

Subtracting (1) from (2),

5d = 1/18 - 1/10

5d = -2/45

d = -2/225.

Answer: The common difference of AP is -2/225.

Practice Questions on Progressions

 Q. 1

Classify the sequence as: Arithmetic progression, Geometric progression, and

Harmonic progression.

Put responses in the correct input to answer the question. Select a

response, navigate to the desired input and insert the response.
Responses can be selected and inserted using the space bar, enter
key, left mouse button or touchpad. Responses can also be moved by
dragging with a mouse.
Arithmetic Geometric Progression Harmonic Progression
Progression
 Check Answer
 Q. 2

Fill the missing terms of the given progressions.

Arithmetic Progressions Solved Examples
Below are the problems to find the nth term and the sum of the sequence, which are solved using
AP sum formulas in detail. Go through them once and solve the practice problems to excel in
your skills.

Example 1: Find the value of n, if a = 10, d = 5, an = 95.

Solution: Given, a = 10, d = 5, an = 95

From the formula of general term, we have:

an = a + (n − 1) × d

95 = 10 + (n − 1) × 5

(n − 1) × 5 = 95 – 10 = 85

(n − 1) = 85/ 5

(n − 1) = 17

n = 17 + 1

n = 18

Example 2: Find the 20th term for the given AP:3, 5, 7, 9, ……

Solution: Given,

3, 5, 7, 9, ……

a = 3, d = 5 – 3 = 2, n = 20

an = a + (n − 1) × d

a20 = 3 + (20 − 1) × 2

a20 = 3 + 38

⇒a20 = 41

Example 3: Find the sum of the first 30 multiples of 4.

Solution:

The first 30 multiples of 4 are: 4, 8, 12, ….., 120

Here, a = 4, n = 30, d = 4

We know,

S30 = n/2 [2a + (n − 1) × d]

S30 = 30/2[2 (4) + (30 − 1) × 4]

S30 = 15[8 + 116]

S30 = 1860

Arithmetic Progressions: Problems with

Solutions
Problem 1

What is the common difference of the arithmetic progression 10, 5, 0, -5?

The solution has been seen.

Solution:
The common difference is -5.

Problem 2

Do the numbers 2, 6, 10, 12, 16... form an arithmetic progression?

Please, answer yes or no.

The solution has been seen.

Solution:
The numbers do not form an arithmetic progression.
If they formed they would be 2, 6, 10, 14, 18.
Solved Examples of Geometric Progression
Question 1: If the first term is 10 and the common ratio of a GP is 3, then write the first
five terms of GP.

Solution: Given,

First term, a = 10

Common ratio, r = 3

We know the general form of GP for first five terms is given by:

a, ar, ar2, ar3, ar4

a = 10

ar = 10 × 3 = 30

ar2 = 10 × 32 = 10 × 9 = 90

ar3 = 10 × 33 = 270

ar4 = 10 × 34 = 810

Therefore, the first five terms of GP with 10 as the first term and 3 as the common ratio are:

10, 30, 90, 270 and 810

Question 2: Find the sum of GP: 10, 30, 90, 270 and 810, using formula.

Solution: Given GP is 10, 30, 90, 270 and 810

First term, a = 10

Common ratio, r = 30/10 = 3 > 1

Number of terms, n = 5

Sum of GP is given by;

Sn = a[(rn – 1)/(r – 1)]

S5 = 10[(35 – 1)/(3 – 1)]

= 10[(243 – 1)/2]

= 10[242/2]

= 10 × 121

= 1210
Check: 10 + 30 + 90 + 270 + 810 = 1210

Question 3: If 2, 4, 8,…., is the GP, then find its 10th term.

Solution: The nth term of GP is given by:

2, 4, 8,….

Here, a = 2 and r = 4/2 = 2

an = arn-1

Therefore,

a10 = 2 x 210 – 1

= 2 × 29

= 1024

What is Harmonic Progression?

The harmonic progression is formed by taking the reciprocal of the terms of

the arithmetic progression. If the given terms of the arithmetic progression are
a, a + d, a + 2d, a + 3d, ...., then the terms of the harmonic progression (or
harmonic sequence) are 1/a, 1/(a + d), 1/(a + 2d), 1/(a + 3d), 1/(a + 4d),......
Here a is the first term and d is a common difference. Both a and d have non-
zero values.

The harmonic progression is an infinite series.

 Examples on Harmonic Progression

 Example 1: Determine whether the following sequence is harmonic: -1, 1/2, -1/3,
1/4, -1/5, ....

Solution:

Let us take the reciprocals of the given sequence. Then we get -1, 2, -3, 4, -5, ...

Let us check whether this is an arithmetic progression by computing the common

differences.

2 - (-1) = 3
-3 - 2 = -5
4 - (-3) = 7

The differences are NOT the same and hence the given sequence is NOT harmonic.

Answer:The given sequence is NOT a harmonic sequence.

 Example 2: What is the value of the 21st term and the nth term of the harmonic
progression: 1/5, 1/9, 1/13, 1/14 .....?

Solution:

The given harmonic sequence is 1/5, 1/9, 1/13, 1/14 ...........

Comparing this with 1/a, 1/(a + d), 1/(a + 2d),..., we get 1/a = 1/5, 1/(a + d) = 1/9.
 a = 5, a + d = 9, or d = 4.

The 21st term = 1/(a + 20d) = 1/(5 + 20 x 4) = 1/(5 + 80) = 1/85.

The nth term = 1/(a + (n - 1)d) = 1/(5 + (n - 1)4) = 1/(5 + 4n - 4) = 1/(4n + 1)

Answer: Therefore, the 21st term is 1/85, and the nth term is 1/(4n + 1).

 Example 3: Find the 12th term of the harmonic progression, if the fifth term is 1/16,
and the eighth term is 1/25.

Solution:

The fifth term = 1/(a + 4d) = 1/16

The eight term = 1/(a + 7d) = 1/25

Comparing this we have a + 4d = 16, and a + 7d = 25.

Solving these above two expressions we have a = 4, and d = 3.

The 12th term of the harmonic progression = 1/(a + 11d) = 1/(4 + 11x3) = 1/(4 + 33) =
1/37.

Answer: Therefore, the 12th term of the harmonic progression is 1/37.

Example 1:

Determine the 4th and 8th term of the harmonic progression 6, 4, 3,…

Solution:

Given:

H.P = 6, 4, 3

Now, let us take the arithmetic progression from the given H.P

A.P = ⅙, ¼, ⅓, ….

Here, T2 -T1 = T3 -T2 = 1/12 = d

So, in order to find the 4th term of an A. P, use the formula,

The nth term of an A.P = a+(n-1)d

Here, a = ⅙, d= 1/12

Now, we have to find the 4th term.

So, take n=4

Now put the values in the formula.

4th term of an A.P = (⅙) +(4-1)(1/12)

= (⅙)+(3/12)

= (⅙)+ (¼)

= 5/12

Similarly,

8th term of an A.P = (⅙) +(8-1)(1/12)

= (⅙)+(7/12)

= 9/12

Since H.P is the reciprocal of an A.P, we can write the values as:

4th term of an H.P = 1/4th term of an A.P = 12/5

8th term of an H.P = 1/8th term of an A.P = 12/9 = 4/3

Example 2:

Compute the 16th term of HP if the 6th and 11th term of HP are 10 and 18, respectively.

Solution:

The H.P is written in terms of A.P are given below:

6th term of A.P = a+5d = 1/10 —- (!)

11th term of A.P = a+10d = 1/18 ……(2)

By solving these two equations, we get

a =13/90, and d = -2/ 225

To find 16th term, we can write the expression in the form,

a+15d = (13/90) – (2/15) = 1/90

Thus, the 16th term of an H.P = 1/16th term of an A.P = 90

Therefore, the 16th term of the H.P is 90.