Arithmetic Sequences

A simple way to generate a sequence is to start with a number a, and add to it a fixed
constant d, over and over again. This type of sequence is called an arithmetic sequence.

Definition: An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of the form

a, a + d, a + 2d, a + 3d, a + 4d, …

The number a is the first term, and d is the common difference of the
sequence. The nth term of an arithmetic sequence is given by

an = a + (n – 1)d

The number d is called the common difference because any two consecutive terms of an
arithmetic sequence differ by d, and it is found by subtracting any pair of terms an and
an+1. That is

d = an+1 – an

Is the Sequence Arithmetic?

Example 1: Determine whether or not the sequence is arithmetic. If it is arithmetic, find

the common difference.

(a) 2, 5, 8, 11, …
(b) 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, …

Solution (a): In order for a sequence to be arithmetic, the differences between

each pair of adjacent terms should be the same. If the differences
are all the same, then d, the common difference, is that value.

Step 1: First, calculate the difference between each pair of adjacent

terms.

5–2=3
8–5=3
11 – 8 = 3

Step 2: Now, compare the differences. Since each pair of adjacent terms
has the same difference 3, the sequence is arithmetic and the
common difference d = 3 .

By: Crystal Hull

Example 1 (Continued):

Solution (b):

Step 1: Calculate the difference between each pair of adjacent terms.

2–1=1
3–2=1
5–3=2
8–5=3

Step 2: Compare the differences. Since the differences between each

pair of adjacent terms are not all the same, the sequence is not
arithmetic.

An arithmetic sequence is determined completely by the first term a, and the common
difference d. Thus, if we know the first two terms of an arithmetic sequence, then we can
find the equation for the nth term.

Finding the Terms of an Arithmetic Sequence:

Example 2: Find the nth term, the fifth term, and the 100th term, of the arithmetic
sequence determined by a = 2 and d = 3.

Solution: To find a specific term of an arithmetic sequence, we use the formula

for finding the nth term.

Step 1: The nth term of an arithmetic sequence is given by

an = a + (n – 1)d.

So, to find the nth term, substitute the given values a = 2 and
d = 3 into the formula.

an = 2 + (n – 1)3

Step 2: Now, to find the fifth term, substitute n = 5 into the equation for
the nth term.

a5 = 2 + (5 – 1)3
= 14

Step 3: Finally, find the 100th term in the same way as the fifth term.

a100 = 2 + (100 – 1)3

= 299

By: Crystal Hull

Example 3: Find the common difference, the fifth term, the nth term, and the 100th
term of the arithmetic sequence.

(a) 4, 14, 24, 34, …

15 9 21
(b) t + 3, t + , t + , t + , ...
4 2 4

Solution (a): In order to find the nth and 100th terms, we will first have to
determine what a and d are. We will then use the formula for
finding the nth term.

Step 1: First, we will determine what a and d are. The number a is

always the first term of the sequence, so

a=4

The difference between any pair of adjacent terms should be the

same because the sequence is arithmetic, so we can choose any
one pair to find the common difference d. If we choose the first
two terms then

d = 14 – 4
= 10

Step 2: Since we are given the fourth term, we can add the common
difference d = 10 to it to get the fifth term.

a5 = 34 + 10
= 44

Step 3: Now to find the nth term, substitute a = 4 and d = 10 into the
formula for the nth term.

an = 4 + (n – 1)10

Step 4: Finally, substitute n = 100 into the equation for the nth term to
get the 100th term.

a100 = 4 + (100 – 1)10

= 994

By: Crystal Hull

Example 3 (Continued):

Solution (b):

Step 1: Calculate a and d.

a=t+3

⎛ 15 ⎞
d = ⎜ t + ⎟ − ( t + 3)
⎝ 4⎠
15
= t + −t −3
4
15
= −3
4
3
=
2

Step 2: The fifth term is the fourth term plus the common difference.
Therefore,

⎛ 21 ⎞ 3
a5 = ⎜ t + ⎟ +
⎝ 4⎠ 2
24
=t+
4
=t+6

3
Step 3: Now, substitute a = t + 3, d = into the formula for the nth term.
2

3
an = ( t + 3) + ( n − 1)
2

Step 4: Finally, substitute n = 100 into the equation for the nth term that
we just found.

3
an = ( t + 3) + (100 − 1)
2
3
= t + 3 + ( 99 )
2
303
=t+
2

By: Crystal Hull

Partial Sums of an Arithmetic Sequence:

To find a formula for the sum, Sn, of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence, we can
write out the terms as

S n = a + ( a + d ) + ( a + 2d ) + ... + ⎡⎣ a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦ .

This same sum can be written in reverse as

S n = an + ( an − d ) + ( an − 2d ) + ... + ⎡⎣ an − ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦

Now, add the corresponding terms of these two expressions for Sn to get

Sn = a + ( a + d ) + ( a + 2d ) + ... + ⎡⎣ a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦
Sn = an + ( an − d ) + ( an − 2d ) + ... + ⎡⎣ an − ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦
2 Sn = ( a + an ) + ( a + an ) + ( a + an ) + ... + ( a + an )

The right hand side of this expression contains n terms, each equal to a + an, so

2 S n = n ( a + an )
n
Sn = ( a + an ) .
2

Definition: For the arithmetic sequence an = a + ( n − 1) d , the nth partial sum

S n = a + ( a + d ) + ( a + 2d ) + ( a + 3d ) + ... + ⎡⎣ a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦

is given by either of the following formulas.

n
1. S n = ⎡ 2a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦
2⎣

⎛ a + an ⎞
2. S n = n ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠

By: Crystal Hull

The nth partial sum of an arithmetic sequence can also be written using summation
notation.

∑ ki − c
i =1

represents the sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence having the first term
a = k(1) + c = k + c and the nth term an = k(n) + c = kn + c. We can find this sum with
the second formula for Sn given above.

Example 4: Find the partial sum Sn of the arithmetic sequence that satisfies the given
conditions.

(a) a = 6, d = 3, and n = 7

14
(b) ∑ 2i − 7
i =1

Solution (a): To find the nth partial sum of an arithmetic sequence, we can use
either of the formulas

n ⎛ a + an ⎞
Sn = ⎡⎣ 2a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦ or S n = n ⎜ ⎟
2 ⎝ 2 ⎠

Step 1: To use the first formula for the nth partial sum, we only need to
substitute the given values a = 6, d = 3, and n = 7 into the
equation.

n
Sn = ⎡ 2a + ( n − 1) d ⎤⎦
2⎣
7
S7 = ⎡ 2 ( 6 ) + ( 7 − 1) 3⎤⎦
2⎣
7
= [12 + 18]
2
= 105

By: Crystal Hull

Example 4 (Continued):

Solution (b): This is the sum of the first fourteen terms of the arithmetic
sequence having an = 2n – 7.

Step 1: Since the partial sum is given in summation notation, we must

first find a and an. From the given information we know k = 2,
c = –7, and n = 14, so

a=k +c
= 2 + (−7)
= −5

an = kn + c
a14 = 2(14) + (−7)
= 21

Step 2: Now that we know a = -5, n = 14, and a14 = 21, we can substitute
these values into the second formula for the nth partial sum to
find the fourteenth partial sum.

⎛ a + a14 ⎞
S14 = n ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠
⎛ −5 + 21 ⎞
= 14 ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠
= 112

Example 5: Find the sum of the first 37 even numbers.

Solution:

Step 1: First, we must find the values a, d, and n. Since the first even
number is zero, a = 0. The next even number is 2, so
d = 2 – 0 = 2. Since we are told to find the sum of the first 37
even numbers, n = 37.

By: Crystal Hull

Example 5 (Continued):

Step 2: Now that we know a = 0, d = 2, and n = 37 we can solve this

problem the same way as in the previous example. First find
a37, and then substitute the values for a, d, and a37 into the
equation for the nth partial sum. Thus,

a37 = 0 + ( 37 − 1) 2
= 18

⎛ 0 + 18 ⎞
S37 = 37 ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠
= 363

Example 6: A partial sum of an arithmetic sequence is given. Find the sum.

1 + 8 + 15 + … + 78

Solution:

Step 1: As in the previous example, we must first find a, d, and n. The

values a and d are easy to find.

a=1

d=8–1
=7

Now, finding n is a bit more work because we are not explicitly

told how many numbers we will be summing. We know a and d,
and we know the nth term, so we will substitute these values into
the formula for the nth term of a sequence.

an = a + ( n − 1) d
78 = 1 + ( n − 1) 7

Now solve for n.

77 = ( n − 1) 7
11 = n − 1
12 = n

Therefore, we will be summing twelve terms and 78 = a12 .

By: Crystal Hull

Example 6 (Continued):

Step 2: Now that we know a = 1, n = 12, and a12 = 78 we can solve this
problem the same way as in example 4. Substitute the values for
a, d, and a12 into the formula for the nth partial sum.

⎛ 1 + 78 ⎞
S12 = 12 ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠
= 474

By: Crystal Hull