Pre-Calculus
Sequence & Series
Facilitator: O. McPherson
Objectives
Outline
• Definitions
– Sequence
– Series
• Arithmetic Progression
– General Term vs. Specific Term
– Common Difference
– Sum of Terms
• Geometric Progression
– General Term vs. Specific Term
– Common Ratio
– Sum of Terms
• Business Applications of AP and GP
Definitions
• Sequence – a list of numbers. Each number in
the sequence is called a term.
E.g. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, …
• Series – The sum of terms of a sequence.
E.g. 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 + 12 + …
Sequence
• Finite Sequence
– A sequence with a countable number of terms.
• Infinite Sequence
– A sequence with an uncountable number of
terms.
Notation:
an - the nth term or the general term of a sequence.
Sequence cont’d
• Finite Sequence
Example:
an = n2 for 1 ≤ n ≤ 5
The terms of this sequence is:1, 4, 9, 16, 25
• Infinite Sequence
Example:
an = n2 for n ≥1
The terms of this sequence is:1, 4, 9, …
Sequence Cont’d
Activity:
1. List all the terms generated by this sequence
function.
2. List the first three terms of the sequence.
Finding the nth term of a sequence
• To write a formula that will produce a sequence,
we examine the terms and look for a pattern.
• Note: Each term is a function of the term
number.
E.g. the first term corresponds to n = 1, second,
n = 2, etc.
Example: write the general term for the infinite
sequence: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, …
an = 2n + 1
Series
• The sum of terms in a sequence.
Note: To describe the sum of the terms of a sequence,
we use summation notation.
Summation Notation:
Greek letter called sigma
- Means ‘sum of’
The sum
Maximum value of n of the
values of
Variable (term number)
n from i to
Minimum value of n m.
Series Example
A series of the first 5 counting numbers.
= 15
Activity 2
1. Evaluate the following:
3
I. ሺ−1ሻ𝑖 (2𝑖 + 1)
𝑖=1
5
II. 𝑛2
𝑛=1
2. Convert the following series to summation
notation.
2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 + 12 + 14
Arithmetic Sequence
• Also called Arithmetic Progression (A.P.)
• A sequence in which each term after the first is
obtained by adding a fixed amount to the previous
term.
– The fixed amount is called the common difference (d)
– The first term is denoted as (a1)
– The second term is denoted as (a2) = a1 + d
– The third term, a3 = a1 + 2d and so on.
– The nth term of an A.P. is: an = a1 + (n - 1)d
Arithmetic Sequence Cont’d
• Example:
• Write a formula for the nth term of the
Arithmetic sequence.
• 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, …
• Given nth term is denoted by an = a1 + (n-1)d
• Therefore: a1 = 5, d = 4
Hence: 5 + (n-1)4
Simplified to 5 + 4n – 4 => 4n + 1
Arithmetic Sequence Cont’d
• Note: In an arithmetic sequence in which the
terms are decreasing, the common difference
is a negative number.
• Example: 4, 1, -2, -5, -8, …
• In this case the common difference, d = -3
Activity 3
1. Find the eighth term of the sequence that has
a first term of 9 and a common difference of
6.
2. Find the common difference if the first term
is -8 and the ninth term is -64.
Arithmetic Series
• This indicates the sum of an arithmetic
sequence.
• Example:
• The sequence: 2, 4, 6, 8,10
• Produces the series: 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10
• Formula to find the sum of an arithmetic
series. Number of terms
𝑛
𝑠𝑛 = ( 𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
2
first term nth term
Sum of terms
Arithmetic Series
• Example: Find the sum of series
• 12 + 16 +20 + … + 84
• Solution:
• We know a1 and an but we don’t know n.
• Therefore to find n: an = a1 + (n – 1)d
84 = 12 + (n – 1)4
84 = 12 + 4n – 4
84 = 4n + 8
therefore n =19
Geometric Sequence
• Also called Geometric Progression (G.P), is a
sequence in which each term after the first is
obtained by multiplying the preceding term by
a constant.
• The constant is denoted by the letter r and is
called the common ratio.
• Hence if a1 is the first term then a2 is a1r, a3 =
a1r2 and so on.
• Therefore the nth term of a G.P. is an = a1rn-1
Geometric Sequence
• Example:
• Write a formula for the nth term of the
geometric sequence. 6, 2, 2/3, 2/9, …
• Solution:
• We first obtain common ratio by dividing a
term by the term preceding it.
• i.e. 2 ÷ 6 = 1/3
• an = 6(1/3)n-1
Geometric Sequence
• Example:
• Write the first five terms of the sequence
whose nth term is: an = 3(-2)n-1
• Find the first term of a geometric sequence
whose fourth term is 8 and common ratio is ½.
• Solution:
• a4 = 8, r = ½ and n=4. note: a4 = a1rn-1
• 8 = a1(½)3
• a1 = 64
Finite Geometric Series
• Indicated as a sum of terms of a geometric
sequence.
• Example: 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + ... + 512
• Sum of n terms of a geometric series
• Example: Find the sum of the series
Infinite Geometric Series
• Sum of an infinite geometric series
• Example: Find the sum of the infinite series
• Solution:
Infinite Geometric Series
• Example 2: Find the sum of
• Solution:
• Note: a1 +a1r + a1r2 + … =
• Hence:
Application of Geometric series
• Annuities
• An annuity is a sequence of periodic
payments. The payments might be loan or
investments.
• Example: A deposit of $1,000 is made at the
beginning of each year for 30years and earns
6% interest compounded annually. What is the
value of the annuity at the end of the 20th
year?
Solution to example
• Recall:
• Let: a1 = $1000 and r = 1.06
