Mathematics In The Modern World

. Lesson 2: The Fibonacci Sequence and The

Golden .
Ratio .
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.

EXAMPLES:
● {20,25,30,35,…} is also an infinite sequence.
● {1,3,5,7} is the sequence of the first 4 odd numbers
(and is a finite sequence)

The two simplest sequences to work with are arithmetic

A
and geometric sequences.

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D
AM
Mathematics In The Modern World
1. ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE FORMULA: 𝑎1 • 𝑟
𝑛−1

❖ An arithmetic sequence is a list of numbers with a

1. Find the 5th term of the following:
definite pattern. If you take any number in the 2 3
1 1 1 1
sequence then subtract it by the previous one, and 2
, 6
, 16
, 54
,...
the result is always the same or constant then it is an 𝑛−1
= 𝑎1 • 𝑟
arithmetic sequence.
❖ The constant difference in all pairs of consecutive or 1 1 5−1
= 2
• 3
successive numbers in a sequence is called the
1 14
common difference(d). = •
2 3
1 1
FORMULA: 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 = 2
• 81
4
1
=
1. Find the 48th term of the following: 162

15, 30, 45, 60,... 2. Find the 9th term of the following:
= 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 1,-5,25,-125,...

A
𝑛−1
= 15 + (48 − 1)15 = 𝑎1 • 𝑟
= 15 + (47)15 = 1 •− 5
9−1

= 15 + 705 8
= 1 •− 5
= 720
= 1 •− 390, 625

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2. Find the 15th term of the following: =− 390, 625
-8, -4, 0, 4,...
= 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 Binet’s formula
=− 8 + (15 − 1)4 𝑛 𝑛
1 1+ 5 1− 5
𝐹𝑛 = [( 2
) − ( 2
) ]
=− 8 + (14)4 5
D
20 20
=− 8 + 56 1 1+ 5 1− 5
𝐹𝑛 = [( 2
) − ( 2
) ]
= 48 5
20 20
3. Find the 7th term of the following: 𝐹𝑛 =
1
[(
1+ 5
) − (
1− 5
) ]
5 2 2
24, 14, 4,... 20 20
= 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 1 1+ 5 1− 5
𝐹𝑛 = [( ) − ( ) ]
AM

5 2 2
= 24 + (7 − 1) − 10 20 20
1 1+ 5 1− 5
= 24 + (6) − 10 𝐹𝑛 = [( 2
) − ( 2
) ]
5
= 24 + (− 60)
=− 36

2. GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE
❖ 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).