3 Progressions

Arithmetic and geometric progressions and sums to n terms. Sum to infinity of a

geometric series. Use of L notation.

3.1 Fact Sheet

(a) Arithmetic Progression

• First term a, common difference d.

• nth term =a + (n - l)d.
• Sum of n terms = n(2a + (n - 1)d)/2
= n (first term + last term)/2.
• Three terms p, q and r are in arithmetic progression if p + r = 2q.
• The arithmetic mean of p and r is (p + r)/2.

(b) Geometric Progression

• First term a, common ratio r.

• nth term = arn - 1 .

a(r n -
• Sum ofn termsS
n
= aCI1-r
- rn)
=
r-1
1)
.

• Sum to infinity exists if Irl < 1 or -1 < r < 1:

a
S",,=--·
1- r
• Three terms x, y and z form a geometric progression if xz =y2 .
• The geometric mean of x and z is Y(xz).

(c) L Notation

n
• l:rO< means the sum of all terms of the form rOl from 10l to n Ol , where n is a
r =1
positive integer.
n n n n n n
• L ar2 =a L r2 , 'L,(ar2 + br + c) = aLr 2 + bl:r + c'L, 1.
r=1 r=1 r= 1 r= 1 r= 1 r=1

n
• 'L,l=n.
r= 1

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 (d) Useful Results

n
• ~r=n(n + 1)/2.
r= 1

n
• ~r2
r=1
=n(n + 1) (2n + 1)/6.
n
• ~r3 = n 2 (n + 1)2/4.
r= 1

Note: The letter r is often replaced by i.

• Sum of an arithmetic series

n n
~[a + (i - l)d] = an + d~(i - 1).
i= 1 i=1

• Sum of a geometric series

n n
~ari-l = a ~ r i- 1 •
i= 1 i=1

• Change of limits
n a+n
~(r + a) = ~ r.
r=1 r=a +1

n n m-l
~f(r) = ~f(r) -- ~f(r).
r=m r=1 r=1

3.2 Worked Examples

3.1 The sum to infinity of the geometric series a + a 2 + a 3 + ... (a =1= 0) is 4a.
The common ratio is
A ,"3,
4. B,"3,
2. C, .L
4, D, .1..
4, E, t.
a
• Sum to infinity = - - .
I - r

But r = a ~ 4a = _a_ ~ 4a - 4a 2 = a
I-a
~ 4a 2 - 3a =0 ~ a (4a - 3) =0
~ a =0 ort.
But a =1= 0 ~ a = t. Answer C

3.2 An arithmetic progression has first term a and common difference d. Its fifth
term is 59 and the sum of its first 30 terms is four times the sum of its first
10 terms. Find the values of a and d.

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 • Fifth term of an arithmetic progression: a + 4d = 59. (1)
Sum of first 30 terms = 30(2a + 29d)/2 = 30a + 435d.
Sum of first 10 terms = 1O(2a + 9d)/2 = lOa + 45d.
Hence 30a + 435d = 4(10a + 45d).
:. lOa = 255d ~ 2a = SId, (2)
From equations 1 and 2, a = 51 and d = 2.

3.3 The first three terms of a geometric progression are 6, t,-f-;.

State the common ratio and show that the sum to infinity is 6.75.
Find the least number of terms required to make the sum exceed 6.7499 .

.1.
• The common ratio is~, i.e. t ~ r = t.
6

Sum to infinity S
oc
= _a_
1-
= _6_
l.l
= 6.75.
r - 9

WhenSn >6.7499, 6.75[1-(i)n]>6.7499,

6.75 - 6.75 (i-)n > 6.7499,
0.0001> 6.75(t)n.
Multiply by 10 4 X 9n : 9n > 6.75 X 104 •
Take logs: n log 9> log (6.75 X 104 ),

n > 4.8293 ,
0.9542
n > 5.0611.
Hence the least number of terms required is 6.

3.4
(a) An arithmetic progression is such that the sum of the first n terms is 2n 2 for
all positive integral values of n. Find, by substituting two values of n or other-
wise, the first term and the common difference.
(b) The first term of a geometric progression is 20 and the sum to infinjty is 40.
Find the common ratio and the sum of the first 10 terms .

• (a) Sn = 2n 2 •
Sn =U 1 + U2 + U3 + ... where u 1 etc. are the terms of the series
S1=U1,S2=U1+ U 2 ~ U2=S2- S 1'
S1 = 2(1)2 = 2, i.e. first term = 2.
S2 = 2(2)2 ::; 8, i.e. second term = 6.
Common difference = U2 - U 1 = 4.

(b) Soc = _a_, i.e. 40 = ~ ~ r = t,

l-r l-r
. . 1
I.e. common ratlO ="2.
SlO = 40[1 - (t)10] = SUi.
Hence the sum of the first 10 terms = SUl·

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3.5 Given that the sum of the first 2 terms of a geometric progression is 16 and
the sum to infinity is 18, find the possible values of the common ratio .

• If the first term is a and the common ratio is r then

S2 =a + ar =a (1 + r) = 16, (1)

a
Soo = - - = 18. (2)
1- r
From equation 2, a = 18(1 - r).
Substituting for a in equation 1,
18(1-r)(1 +r)= 16 ~ 9(1 -r 2 )=8,
9r2 = 1 ~ r = ± t-
Hence the common ratio is it.

3.6 By using an infinite geometric progression show that 0.6524., i.e.

0.65242424 ... is equal to ;~~5 .
• 0.65242424 ... = 0.65 + 0.0024 + 0.000024 + ...
0.65 + 24(10- 4 + 10- 6 + 10- 8 + ... ).
=
10- 4 + 10- 6 + ... is a GP with a = 10- 4 and r = 10- 2.
10- 4
Sum of GP = 2 = ~
(1 - 10- )

Hence 0.6524. = 1~~ + ~ = ;~~~.

n
3.7 Find. in terms of n, the value of ~ (r2 + 2r).
r= 1

n n n
• ~(r2 + Y) = ~ r2 + ~ 2'
r=1 ,=1 ,=1

=_n (n + 1) (2n + 1) + (2 + 22 + 2 3 + ... 2n)

6
= n (n + 1) (2n + 1) + 2 (2 n - 1)
6 (2 - 1)

= n (n + 1) (2n + 12 + 2 (2 n _ 1).
6

3.8
(a) The sum of the first n terms of a series is 1 - dd n . Obtain the values of the
first three terms of this series. What is the sum to infinity of this series?
(b) The rth term of a series is 2' + 3r - 2. Find a formula for the sum of the first
n terms.

then SI =1 - -t; U 1 -- 4·
3

S 2 -- 1 - .l.. - 15.
16 - 16, U 2 -..1...
- 16'

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 Hence the first three terms of this series are
t, ft and /;;;.
This is a GP with first term t and common ratio t.
Sa> =(t)/O - t) = 1.
(This could also have been deduced from the limit of Sn as n ~ 00.)

(b) rth term u, = 2' + 3r - 2.

Ul =21 +3(1)-2, etc.
n n n n
Sn = ~(2' + 3r - 2) = ~2' + 3~r - 2~ 1.
r=l ,=1 r=l r=l

= 2 (2 n - 1) + 3n (n + 1) _ 2n
(2 - 1) 2

= 2n +1 _ 2 + 3n 2 _ !!.-
2 2

= 2n + 1 + (3n 2 -n -4).
2

Sum of first n terms = 2n + 1 + (3n - 4) (n + 1)

2

3.3 Exercises
3.1 The first term of an arithmetic progression is 17, and the sum of the first 16
terms is -16. Find the sixteenth term and the common difference of the progres-
sion.

3.2 Starting from first principles, prove that the sum of the first n terms of a
geometric progression whose first term is a and whose common ratio is r
*
(where r 1) is

The first and second terms of an infinite geometric progression are 16 and 8 res-
pectively. Show that the sum of all the terms after the nth term is 2S-n.

3.3 Write out in full the terms of the series

3

~(_l)i(;i~\) Xi.

3.4 By using an infinite geometric progression, show that 0.4234, i.e.

0.42343434 ... , is equal to~.

n
3.5 Evaluate ~(3r + 2)2.
,= 1
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 3.6 The sum of the first twenty terms of an arithmetic series is 45 and the sum
of the first forty terms is 490. Find the first term and the common difference.

3.7 If p. q and r are three successive terms of a geometric progression show that
log p. log q and log r are three successive terms of an arithmetic progression.
(p. q. and rare> 0.)

3.8 The sum of the first n terms of a series is given by Sn = 16n - n 2 • Show that
the" terms are in arithmetic progression and find the tenth term.

3.4 Outline Solutions to Exercises

3.1 a = 17; -16 = 16(17 + 16th term) ,

2
-2 = 17 + 16th term => 16th term = -19.
-19=17+15d => d=-1f-.

3.2 Sn =a + ar + ar2 + . . . + a,n - 1 ,

rSn = ar + ar2 + ... + a,n-1 + a,n .
Subtracting, Sn (1 - r) =a - a,n = a(1 - rn)

S = a(1 - rn) .
n 1- r

a=16r=.1
, 2, => Sn= 16[1-(i-)n] =32-32(.1)n
1 - .12 2 •

16
S.. =
=32. --1
1-"2
Sum of all the terms after nth term = Soo - Sn = 32 (i-)n ,
= 25 - n .

+ (_1)3 (~)X3
= -1 - x + tx 2 - i-x 3 .
. .
3.4 0.4234 = 100
42
+ 34 x 10 -4 + 34 x 10 -6 + ...
_ ~ + 34 X 10- 4
- 100 1 _ 10- 2
_ ~ ~_ 1048
- 100 + 9900 - 2475'

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 n n n n
3.5 l:(3r+2)2 = ::::;(9r2 + 12r+4)=9l:r 2 + 12l:r+4n
r=l ' r=! r=] r=]

= 9n(n + 1) (2n + 1)/6 + 6n(n + 1) + 4n

= n [3 (n + 1) (2n + 1) + 12n + 12 + 8] /2
= n (6n 2 + 2In + 23)/2.

3.6 45 = 1O(2a + 19d) =? 9 = 4a + 38d, (1)

490 == 20(2a + 39d) =? 49 == 4a + 78d. (2)

Equation 2 - equation 1: 40 = 40d;
"'d-l - 12-
- ,a--4'

3.7 pr == q2 for three terms in GP.

Take logs: log p + log r = 2 log q.
But x, y and z are in AP if x + z = 2y.
Hence log p, log q and log r are successive terms of an AP.

3.8 Sn = 16n - n 2 . Sn-l = 16(n - 1) - (n - 1)2.

un = [I6n - n 2] - [16 (n - 1) - (n - 1)2] =- 2n + 17,
Un _ 1 = -- 2 (n - 1) + 17 =- 2n + 19;
Un - U n -! = -2 =? common difference is -2, i.e. the terms are in AP.
UIO = --20 + 17 = -3.

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 4 Binomial Expansions
The USe of the binomial expansion of (1 + x)n ,when
(a) Jl is a positive integer.
(b) 11 is rational and Ix 1< 1.

4.1 Fact Sheet

(a) If 11 is a Positive Integer:

(I + x)" = I + llX + - - - -I -)
n (n
(1)(2)
x +..n (n-
2
~
(1)(2)(3)
. . ..... 2) x + ... + nx
-.... .....I) (n
~~ ---~
3 n- 1
+ x
n

= I + (~)x + (;)X2 + (;)X3 + ... + (~)xy + ... + (n ~ l)xn.~l +xn

where (~) = nCy = r(l~~-;)! = nJ:(;~\~~(,-~2~)~:-~~2~0~Jl·
(i) The expansion terminates automatically after n + 1 terms.
(ii) The binomial coefficien ts may be speedily determined by Pascal's triangle:

1
121
133 1
1 4 6 4 1
1 5 10 10 5 1

(b) If 11 is NOT a Positive Integer

(I + x t = I + nx + - -----
n(n~l)
X
2
+-n(n-l)(n--2)
---- ---.. -- x 3 +... if I x 1< 1.
0)(2) (1)(2)(3)
This series is an infinite series. which can only be used when Ix 1< 1,
I.e. l<x<+1.

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