INTRODUCTION TO

SEQUENCES AND SERIES

A sequence is a list of numbers or diagrams that are connected by a rule.

15 17 19 21 …
and

are sequences.
The nth term is used to describe a general term in a sequence.

If the nth term = 3n + 5 1st term = 3 × 1 + 5 = 8

2nd term = 3 × 2 + 5 = 11

3rd term = 3 × 3 + 5 = 14

4th term = 3 × 4 + 5 = 17

The sequence is 8, 11, 14, 17, …

It is called a linear sequence because the differences between terms

are all the same.
The rule to find the next term (the term-to-term rule) is +3 or add 3.
Examples

1 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 10, 17, 24, 31, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 7 and then add 3.
10 17 24 31

+7 +7 +7

nth term = 7n + 3
Examples

2 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 3 and then take 1.
2 5 8 11

+3 +3 +3

nth term = 3n - 1
Examples

3 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 9, 13, 17, 21, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply
by 4 and then add 5.
9 13 17 21

+4 +4 +4

nth term = 4n + 5
Examples

4 Find the nth term of the linear sequence 29, 22, 15, 8, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule is multiply by
−7 and then add 36.
29 22 15 8

−7 −7 −7

nth term = 36 − 7n
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3 diagram 4

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4
×4
Number of circles 4 8 12 16

+4 +4 +4

b How many circles are in diagram 8? Answer = 8 × 4 = 32

c How many circles are in diagram n? Answer = 8 × n = 8n

Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4
× 3 then +1
Number of sticks 4 7 10 13

+3 +3 +3
b How many sticks are in diagram 27? Answer = 27 × 3 + 1 = 82

c How many sticks are in diagram n? Answer = 3n + 1

Examples

7 nth term = 5n - 3. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of 122.

add 3 to both sides

divide both sides by 5

Answer: the 25th term

Examples

8 nth term = 6n + 15. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of 303.

take 15 from both sides

divide both sides by 6

Answer: the 48th term

Examples

9 nth term = 50 - 6n. Find the term in the sequence that has a value of -184.

take 50 from both sides

divide both sides by −6

Answer: the 39th term

Non linear sequences
The sequence 5, 7, 10, 14, … is called a non-linear sequence because the
difference between the terms is not the same.
5 7 10 14

+2 +3 +4

You should be able to recognise and use the following non-linear sequences.
Square numbers

1 4 9 16 nth term = n2
Cube numbers

1 8 27 64 nth term = n3

Powers

For example 2, 4, 8, 16, … nth term = 2n

3, 9, 27, 81, … nth term = 3n

4, 16, 64, 256, … nth term = 4n

Examples

1 Find the nth term of the sequence 1, 3, 9, 27, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
powers of 3.
1 3 9 27
(= 30) (= 31) (= 32) (= 33)

subtract 1 from the term position to find the power

nth term =
Examples

2 Find the nth term of the sequence 4, 7, 12, 19, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
square numbers.
4 7 12 19
(= 12 + 3) (= 22 + 3) (= 32 + 3) (= 42 + 3)

square the term position and add 3

nth term =
Examples

3 Find the nth term of the sequence 0, 7, 26, 63, …

Term position 1 2 3 4
The rule involves
cube numbers.
0 7 26 63
(= 13 − 1) (= 23 − 1) (= 33 − 1) (= 43 − 1)

cube the term position and subtract 1

nth term =
Examples

4 The table shows the first four terms in three sequences A, B and C.
Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4
Sequence A 3 6 11 18
Sequence B 3 9 27 81
Sequence C 0 3 16 63
a Find the nth term of sequence A.

b Find the nth term of sequence B.

c Find the nth term of sequence C.

You need to notice that: sequence C = sequence B − sequence A
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3 diagram 4

a Complete the table.

Diagram 1 2 3 4 5
Number of circles

b How many circles are in diagram 20? Answer =

c How many circles are in diagram n? Answer =

Examples
6

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

The diagram shows the growth of a plant over three years.
Each year a flower is replaced by three stems and three flowers.
a Complete the table.
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of flowers 1 3 9 27 81
Number of stems 1 4 13 40 121
Examples

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

b How many flowers are there in year n?
Using the answers from part a you can see a pattern.

Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of flowers 1 = 30 3 = 31 9 = 32 27= 33 81 = 34

So, number of flowers in year n =

Examples

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

c How many stems are there in year n?
Using the answers from part a you can see a pattern.
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Number of stems

So, number of stems in year n =

Further non-linear sequences

Example
1 The nth term of the sequence 8, 16, 26, 38, … is given by the formula
nth term = n2 + bn + c
Find the values of b and c.

The first term is 8, so substitute n = 1 into the formula

The second term is 16, so substitute n = 2 into the formula

Solving and simultaneously gives b = 5 and c = 2.

If you are asked to find the values of a, b and c when the
nth term = an2 + bn + c
then the problem is more complicated.
One method is to look at the differences in the terms. For example

4 13 26 43 54
First difference +9 + 13 + 17 + 21

Second difference +4 +4 +4

The second differences are all the same.

This means that it is a quadratic sequence
A second difference of 2 🡺 the nth term will contain n2.
A second difference of 4 🡺 the nth term will contain 2n2.
A second difference of 6 🡺 the nth term will contain 3n2.
So divide the second difference by 2 to find the coefficient of n2.
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

3 sticks 9 sticks 18 sticks
How many sticks are needed to make
a diagram 4 b diagram 5 c diagram n?

a diagram 4 = 18 + 12 = 30 sticks

b diagram 5 = 30 + 15 = 45 sticks
Examples

diagram 1 diagram 2 diagram 3

3 sticks 9 sticks 18 sticks

c 3 9 18 30 45
+6 +9 + 12 + 15 second difference is 3,
so a = 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5
+3 +3 +3

and
simplifying and
solving simultaneously

or
 Definition
ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE
An arithmetic sequence is a sequence in which the
difference between two successive terms is constant. This
difference , d, is called the common difference.

For any arithmetic sequence in which is the general term,

is the first term, and n is a positive integer.

The first and last terms of the sequence are called arithmetic
extremes.
The terms in between are called arithmetic means.

The arithmetic mean between is defined by

The arithmetic mean of n terms is

The terms of a sequence are labelled according to their position in the sequence.
The first term of the sequence is t1 or a.
The number of terms in the sequence can be represented by n.
The general term of the sequence (general rule) is tn. This term is dependent on the value of n.

n 1 2 3 4 5 The n value gives

the relative position
of each term.
What assumptions are made?

The tn value gives the

tn 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 actual terms of the sequence.

This is a finite arithmetic sequence

where tn represents the nth term of the sequence.
What would change to write an infinite arithmetic sequence?
3, 6, 9, 12, 15,…
1.1A.5
 Arithmetic Sequences

Given the sequence -5, -1, 3 …

a) What is the value of t1? -5 t 3? 3 t 4? 7
b) Determine the value of the common difference.
d = t2 - t1
Note: the common difference
= ( -1) - ( -5) may be found by subtracting
=4 any two consecutive terms.

c) What strategies could you use to determine the

value of t10?
 Deriving a Rule for the General Term of an Arithmetic Sequence
Terms
Sequence -5 -1 3 7
Sequence Expressed
using first term and -5 -5 + (4) -5 + (4) + (4) -5 + (4) + (4) + (4) -5 + (4) +… +
(4)
common difference
General Sequence

An arithmetic sequence is a sequence that has a constant

common difference, d, between successive terms.
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d.
General First Position of Common
term or term term in difference
nth term the sequence
 -5, -1, 3 parameters t1 and d must be defined
…
Determine the value of t10. Write the expression for the general term.
Explicit Definition tn = t1 + (n - 1) d
tn = t1 + (n - 1) d t1 = -5
= -5 + (n - 1) 4
t10 = -5 + (10 - 1) 4 n = 10 = -5 + 4n - 4 t1 = -5
d=4 tn = 4n - 9
= -5 + (9) 4 t10 = ?
n = var
d=4
t10 = 31 t10 = 4(10) - 9
t10 = 40 - 9
t10 = 31
What is the 7th term in this sequence?

2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20

What is the 70th term in this sequence?

Arithmetic Series
Definition:
GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE
A geometric sequence is a sequence in which the ratio
of any two consecutive terms is constant. This constant
is called the common ratio, denoted by r.

The nth term of a geometric sequence is given by

A single geometric mean between two numbers is called

the geometric mean, or the mean proportional given by
Show that the sequence 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 is
geometric.

What will be the 6th term in the sequence ?

Geometric Series
 Definition:
Sum of the First nth terms of a Finite Geometric Sequence
The sum of the first nth terms of a finite geometric sequence is
given by

EXAMPLE

1. If and the common ratio is 2, what is ?

ans. 504
Infinite Geometric Series
Definition :
Infinite Geometric Series
The sum of a convergent infinite geometric series is given by

EXAMPLE

1. Find the sum of the infinite geometric progression 36, 24, 16, …
ans. 108
This is important!

Arithmetic formula:
an = a1 + (n - 1)d
an is the nth term, a1 is the first term, and
d is the common difference.
Geometric formula:
an = a1 . r (n - 1)
an is the nth term, a1 is the first term, and
r is the common ratio.