Sequences
Sequences
Sequences
MATHEMATICS II
Y
MODULE 3
Searching for Patterns in
Sequences, Arithmetic, Geometric and
Others
Module 3
Searching for Patterns in Sequences, Arithmetic ,
Geometric and others
This module is about finding the sum of the n terms of an arithmetic sequence.
As you go over the exercises, you will develop skills in deriving formula for the
arithmetic series , sum of the n terms of an arithmetic sequence and Fibonacci series.
You will gain skills in solving problems involving arithmetic series, sum of arithmetic
sequences, harmonic and Fibonacci series. You will also recall some concepts on
finding the common difference and the n th term of an arithmetic sequence. Treat the
lessons with fun and take time to go back and review if you think you are at a loss.
1. Recall finding the common difference and nth term of an arithmetic sequence
2. Derive the formula for the arithmetic series
3. Solve problems involving arithmetic series, sum of arithmetic sequences and
Fibonacci series
1. Give the first four terms of the arithmetic sequence for which the first term is
8 and the common difference is 5?
2. Give the arithmetic sequence whose 7th term is 49 and whose 12th
term is 84?
2
3. Find the sum of the first twenty terms in arithmetic sequence 0,1, 2, 3, …
a. 190 c. 170
b. 180 d. 160
5. Find the sum of all the odd integers from 100 to 200, inclusive.
a. 7,000 c. 8,000
b. 7,500 d. 8,500
7. How many numbers between 150 and 250 are exactly divisible by 12?
a. 10 c. 7
b. 8 d. 6
9. Find the sum of the five terms of the harmonic sequence 1, _1_, _1_, _1_, …
6 11 16
10. Six student players are participating in a chess game. If each of them plays
once with each of the others, how many games will be played in all?
3
What you will do
Lesson 1
A. Find the first three terms of the sequence defined by each equation.
1. tn = 2n – 7
2. tn = (-4)n
3. tn n + 6
4
4. tn = n(n + 12)
5. tn = 4n(n)
Lesson 2
4
Let’s simplify the problem by breaking it down into smaller problems. Start with one
team, then with two teams, then with three teams, and so on. Each time, determine the
number of games added to the previous number of games when there is one team less.
Also, determine each time the total number of games played for a given number of
teams. From these data we could be able to get the total number of games played
given any number of teams.
Let an arc joining two teams denote a game played between these team.
T1 T2 T1 T2 T3 T1 T2 T3 T4
If there are eight teams, then the total number of games played will be equal to
the sum of the first eight terms of arithmetic sequence
0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28
Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . + (n – 1)
5
The indicated sum 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . + (n – 1) is an arithmetic series Sn .
S n = t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + t5 + t6 + t7 + t8
Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28
For smaller number n and with the aid of a calculator, computing S n will not be a
problem. For 20 teams of big basketball league, however, we need to look for a more
efficient way.
Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + . . . + (n – 4) + (n – 3) + (n – 2) + (n – 1) Equation 1
Sn = (n – 1) + (n – 2) + (n – 3) + (n – 4)+ … + 3 + 2 + 1 + 0 Equation 2, the
reversed order of Equation 1
2Sn = (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + … + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1)
2Sn = n(n – 1)
Sn n(n – 1)
2
Sn n(n – 1)
2
6
Lesson 3
Gauss, Carl Friedrich (1777-1855), a German mathematician, is noted for his wide-
ranging contributions to the field of mathematics and physics, particularly the study of
electromagnetism.
Do you know that this formula is the trick he used, as a schoolboy, to solve the
problem of summing up the integers from 1 to 100 given as busy-work by his teacher?
While his classmates toiled away doing the addition longhand, Gauss wrote a single
number, the correct answer
Usually problems present themselves in either of two ways. Either the first number in
the sequence and the number of terms are known or the first number and the last
number of the sequence are known.
Examples:
1. Find the sum of the first 30 terms of the arithmetic sequence -15, -13, -11,…
Since t1 = -15, d = 2, and n = 30 then we can use the formula S n n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}
2
S30 _30_ {-15 + [ -15 + 2(30 – 1)]}
2
= 15 [ -30 + 2(29) ]
= 15 [ -30 + 58 ] = 15 (28)
S30 = 420
7
2. Find the sum of the first 50 terms of arithmetic sequence 26, 31, 36, 41, …
We have t1 = 26, d = 5, and n = 50 so we can use the formula Sn n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}
2
S50 _50_ {26 + [ 26 + 5(50 – 1)]}
2
= 25 [ 52 + 5(49) ]
= 25 [ 52 + 245 ] = 25 (297)
S50 = 7,425
t50 = 271
4. What is the sum of all positive integers less than 300 that are multiples of 7?
The multiples of 7 form an arithmetic sequence such that the first term is 7, and
d = 7. To get the sum, lets first find the number of multiples of 7 that are less than 300.
300 is not a multiple of 7. Try 299 ÷ 7 = 42.71, 299 is not a multiple of 7. Try
another number
So, 294 = tn
294 = 7 + (n – 1)7
n = 42
8
Therefore, S42_42_ (7 + 294) = 21 (301) = 6,321
2
Another solution to get S42 is as follows:
The largest multiple of 7 less than 200 is tn . Write tn< 300. Then
tn = 7 + (n – 1)7
7 + 7n – 7 < 300
7n < 300
n < 42.85
Since n is an integer, n = 42. Therefore there are 42 positive integers that are
less than 300 which are multiples of 7. The largest of these multiples is t 42 and
The series formed is 7, 14, 21, 28, … 294 and the sum is
5. A military unit purchases 10 spare parts during the first month of a contract,
15 spare parts in the second month, 20 spare parts in the third month, 25 spare parts in
the fourth month, and so on. The acquisition officer wants to know the total number of
spare parts the unit will have acquired after 50 months.
9
2
After 50 months the military unit will acquire 6,625 spare parts
A. Find the sum of the terms in the arithmetic sequence for the number of terms
indicated.
1. 4 + 1 + -2 + -5 + … 40 terms
2. 6 +12 +18 +24 + … 15 terms
3. 10 + 7 + 4 + 1 + … 35 terms
4. 13 + 12 +11 + … 50 terms
5. 2 + 9 +16 + 23+ … 25 terms
2. tn = 79, t1 = 7, d = 3, Sn = ____
10
9. A group of hikers has a trek of 6 days to reach Mt. Apo. They traveled 15 km on
the 1st day, 13 km on the 2nd day, 11 on the 3rd day, and so on. How many
kilometers did they travel to reach Mt. Apo?
10. Luis applied for scholarship and was given battery of test. He made a score of
68 on his first test. The passing average score is 75. Would he make it after four
test if he did 6 points better on each succeeding test? What was his score on the
fourth test? What was his average score after four tests?
Lesson 4
Fibonacci Series
Use drawings and tables to analyze this problem. Consider the rabbit population
at the beginning of 6 months. How many rabbits in all after 6 months? After 8 months?
11
6
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rabbit 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21
Pairs (1+1) (1+2) (2+3) (3+5) (5+8) (8+13)
Generalizing the relationship among the terms of any Fibonacci sequence leads
to a formula for the Fibonacci series.
t1 = t3 – t2 1= 2–1
t 2 = t 4 – t3 1= 3–2
t3= t5 – t4 2= 5–3
t n – 1 = t n + 1 – tn
tn = t n + 2 – tn + 1
Then, t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + … + tn – 1 + tn = - t2 + tn + 2
From the above equation, it can be deduced that the Fibonacci series t 1 + t2 + t3 + t4 +
… + tn with sum Sn can be written as Sn = - t2 + tn + 2
In the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55…, find the sum of the
first three terms using the formula.
S5 = -1 + t5 + 2 = -1 + t7 = -1 + 13 = 12
12
Let’s verify 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 12
S6 = -1 + t6 + 2 = -1 + t8 = -1 + 21 = 20
S8 = -1 + t8 + 2 = -1 + t10 = -1 + 55 = 54
Let’s Summarize
Common difference is the fixed number between any two succeeding terms.
The sum of the first n terms of a Fibonacci sequence is called a Fibonacci series
13
Sn = - t 2 + t n + 2
14
What have you learned
1. Find the sum of the first thirty terms in arithmetic sequence 0,1, 2, 3, …
a. 425 c. 435
b. 430 d. 440
3. Find the sum of all the even integers from 150 to 300, inclusive.
a. 17,000 c. 18,000
b. 17,100 d. 18,100
5. How many numbers between 200 and 400 are exactly divisible by 15?
a. 10 c. 12
b. 11 d. 13
7. Find the sum of the five terms of the harmonic sequence 1, _1_, _1_, _1_, …
8 15 22
15
Key to correction
1. d 6. 50
2. c 7. b
3. a 8. 1,584
4. 30 9. 1685
1232
5. b 10. 15
Try this out
Lesson 1
A.
1. tn = 2n – 7
t1 = 2(1) – 7 = -5; t2 = 2(2) – 7 = -3 ; t3 = 2(3) – 7 = -1
-5, -3, -1
2. tn = (-4)n
t1 = (-4)1 = -4 ; t2 = (-4)2 =16; t3 = (-4)3 = -64
-4, 16, -64
3. tn n+6
4
_7_ , _8_ or 2, _9_
4 4 4
4. tn = n(n + 12)
13, 28, 45
5. tn = 4n(n)
4, 16, 36
3. -7, -2, 3 , …
t7 = -7 + (7 – 1) 5 = 23
16
4. 25, 75, 125, 175, …
t7 = 25 + (7 – 1) 50 = 325
7. -8, -3, 2, 7, …
t7 = -8 + (7 – 1) 5 = 22
Lesson 3
A.
1. d = -3, t1 = 4, n = 40
t40 = 4 + (40 – 1)(-3) = -113
S40 = 20[4 +(-113)] = -2,180
2. d = 6, t1 = 6, n = 15
t15 = 6 + (15 – 1)6 = 90
S15 = 7.5 (6 + 90) = 720
3. d = 3, t1 = 10, n = 35
t35 = 10 + (35 – 1)(-3) = -92
S35 = 17.5 [10 + (-92)] = -1,435
4. d = -1, t1 = 13, n = 50
t50 = 13 + (50 – 1)(-1) = -36
S50 = 25 [13 + (-36)] = -575
5. d = 7, t1 = 2, n = 25
t25 = 2 + (25 – 1)(7) = 170
S25 = 12.5 (2 + 170) = 2,150
17
B.
1. 45 = 27 + (n – 1)9
45 = 27 + 9n – 9
n=3
2. 79 = 7 + (n – 1)3
79 = 7 + 3n – 3
n = 25
Sn = 12.5(7 + 79) = 1,075
4. t7 = t1 + (7 – 1)(-5)
-11 = t1 + (7 – 1)(-5)
t1= 19
C.
1. d = 1, t1 = 1, n = 150
t150 = 1 + (150 – 1)(1) = 150
2. d = 2, t1 = 1, n = 50
t50 = 1 + (50 – 1)(2) = 99
3. t1 = 12, tn = 864, d = 2
864 = 12 + (n – 1)(2) = 427
4. t1 = 27, tn = 495, d = 2
495=27 + (n – 1)(2) = 235
18
5. t1 = 14, tn = 196, d = 7
196 = 14+ (n – 1)(7) = 27or
find n by 200 ÷ 7 = 28, then subtract 1 (since 7 is not included in the sequence,
the first positive number divisible by 7) n = 28 – 1 = 27
6. t1 = 33, tn = 396, d = 11
396 = 33 + (n – 1)(11) = 34 or
find n by 400 ÷ 11 = 36.36, then subtract 2 (since 117 and 22 are not included in
the sequence) n =36 – 2 = 34
7. t1 = 32, tn = 208, d = 4
208 = 32 + (n – 1)(4) = 45 or
find n by 210 ÷ 4 = 52.5, then subtract 7 (since 4, 8, 12, …28 are not included in
the sequence) n = 52 – 7 = 45
8. The clock strikes 1, 2, 3, … 12 for 12 hours, then repeat for the next 12 hours to
complete one day.
9. t1 = 15, n = 6, d = -2
t6 = 15 + (6 – 1)(-2) = 5
S6 = 3 (15 + 5) = 3(20) = 60 kilometers
10. t4 = 68 + (4 – 1)(6) = 86
S4 = 2 (68 + 86) = 2(154) = 308 sum of all the scores
308 ÷ 4 = 77 average score
Lesson 4
Consider the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610,
987…
19
2. Find the sum of the first 12 terms.
S12 = - 1 + t12 + 2 = -1 + t14 = -1 + 377 = 376
1. c
2. 100
3. b
4. 76
5. d
6. 3,900
7. 1.27
8. Fibonacci
9. 21
2
10. 27
20