1.2.1.

Sequence
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers; the numbers in this ordered list are called the
elements or the terms of the sequence. The arrangement of these terms is set by a definite rule. If
a1, a2, a3, a4,……… etc. denote the terms of a sequence, then 1,2,3,4,…..denotes the position of
the term.
A sequence can be defined based upon the number of terms i.e., either finite sequence or
infinite sequence.
Example 1. Describe the following sequences.
1. {1, 2, 3, 4,…} is a very simple sequence (and it is an infinite sequence)
2. {20, 25, 30, 35, …} is also an infinite sequence.
3. {1, 3, 5, 7} is the sequence of the first 4 odd numbers (and is a finite sequence)
4. {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …} is an infinite sequence where every term doubles
5. {a, b, c, d, e} is the sequence of the first 5 letters alphabetically.

The two simplest sequences to work with are arithmetic and geometric sequences.
An arithmetic sequence is a list of numbers with a definite pattern. If you take any
number in the sequence then subtract it by the previous one, and the result is always the same
or constant then it is an arithmetic sequence.

The constant difference in all pairs of consecutive or successive numbers in a sequence is

called the common difference, denoted by the letter d. Then use the common difference to go
from one term to another. How? Take the current term and add the common difference to get to
the next term, and so on. That is how the terms in the sequence are generated.

Example 2. Find the next term in the sequence below.

2, 5, 8,11,14, ___

The common difference of the sequence is 3, therefore the next term will be 14 + 3 = 17.
The answer is 17.

Example 3. Find the common difference and the next term of the following sequence:

3, 11, 19, 27, 35, ...

To find the common difference, subtract a successive pair of terms. It doesn't matter
which pair to pick, as long as they're right next to each other.

11 – 3 = 8
 19 – 11 = 8
27 – 19 = 8
35 – 27 = 8
The difference is always 8, so the common difference is d = 8.

Five terms are given, so the sixth term of the sequence is going to be the very next term.
To find the next term, add the common difference d, to the fifth term:
35 + 8 = 43
Thus, the sixth term is 43.

The formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence is given by:
𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 + (𝒏 − 𝟏)𝒅
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑎1 = 1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑑 = 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

Example 4. Find the tenth term in the sequence below.

2, 5, 8,11,14, …
𝑎10 = 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑎1 = 2; 𝑛 = 10; 𝑑 = 3
𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 + (𝒏 − 𝟏)𝒅
𝑎10 = 2 + (10 − 1)3
𝑎10 = 2 + (9)3
𝑎10 = 2 + 27
𝑎10 = 29
Thus, the tenth term is 29.

A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found
by multiplying the previous one by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio.

A geometric sequence goes from one term to the next by always multiplying (or dividing)
by the same value. So, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16,... is geometric, because each step multiplies by two;

The number multiplied (or divided) at each stage of a geometric sequence is called the
"common ratio" r, because dividing (that is, if you find the ratio of) successive terms, the value
is the same.

Example 5. Find the common ratio and the seventh term of the following sequence:
2 2
, , 2, 6, 18 …
9 3
 To find the common ratio, divide a successive pair of terms.
2
(3) 2 9
= ∗ =3
2 3 2
(9)

(2) 2 3
= ∗ =3
2
(3) 1 2

(6)
=3
(3)
(18)
=3
(6)

The ratio is always 3, so r = 3.

Since the problem has given the five terms, the sixth term is the very next term; the seventh
will be the term after that. To find the value of the seventh term, multiply the fifth term by the
common ratio twice:

a6 = (18)(3) = 54
a7 = (54)(3) = 162

Thus, the common ratio: r = 3 and the seventh term is 162.

The formula for the nth term of a geometric sequence is given by:
𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 ∗ 𝒓(𝒏−𝟏)
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑎1 = 1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑟 = 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜

Example 6. Find the 8th term in the sequence below.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …
𝑎8 = 8𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑎1 = 2; 𝑛 = 8; 𝑟 = 2
𝒂𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 ∗ 𝒓(𝒏−𝟏)
𝑎8 = 2 ∗ 2(8−1)
𝑎8 = 2 ∗ 2(7)
𝑎8 = 2 ∗ 128
𝑎10 = 256
Thus, the 8th term in the sequence is 256.
EXERCISE:
A. Determine what comes next in the given sequences.
1. 2, 6, 18, ___
2. 27, 30, 15, 18, 9, 12, 6, _____
3. -5, -2, 1, 4, ___

B. Find the common difference or ratio of the following

1. 14, 19, 24, 29, …
2. 1, ¾, 9/16, …
3. 13, 26, 39, …

C. Determine whether it is a Geometric sequence or an Arithmetic Sequence and solve for

the nth term.
1. Given the sequence 3, 8, 13, 18, …, find the 12th term
2. Find the 15th term of the following sequence given by 3, 6, 9, 12, …
3. Find the 25th term of the sequence 4, 9, 14, 19, …