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Arithmetic Progression: Mathematics Sequence Numbers

An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers where the difference between consecutive terms is constant. The nth term can be calculated using the formula an = a1 + (n-1)d, where a1 is the first term, d is the common difference, and n is the term number. The sum of the terms in a finite arithmetic progression can be calculated using the formula Sum = n/2 * (a1 + an), where a1 is the first term, an is the last term, and n is the number of terms. This formula was developed by the Indian mathematician Aryabhata in the 5th century. The product of the terms in a finite arithmetic progression can also be expressed with a closed formula

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65 views4 pages

Arithmetic Progression: Mathematics Sequence Numbers

An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers where the difference between consecutive terms is constant. The nth term can be calculated using the formula an = a1 + (n-1)d, where a1 is the first term, d is the common difference, and n is the term number. The sum of the terms in a finite arithmetic progression can be calculated using the formula Sum = n/2 * (a1 + an), where a1 is the first term, an is the last term, and n is the number of terms. This formula was developed by the Indian mathematician Aryabhata in the 5th century. The product of the terms in a finite arithmetic progression can also be expressed with a closed formula

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ddepastel
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Arithmetic progression

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In mathematics, an arithmetic progression (AP) or arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers such


that the difference between the consecutive terms is constant. For instance, the sequence 5, 7, 9, 11, 13,
15 … is an arithmetic progression with common difference of 2.

If the initial term of an arithmetic progression is and the common difference of successive members

is d, then the nth term of the sequence ( ) is given by:

and in general

A finite portion of an arithmetic progression is called a finite arithmetic progression and


sometimes just called an arithmetic progression. The sum of a finite arithmetic progression is
called anarithmetic series.

The behavior of the arithmetic progression depends on the common difference d. If the common
difference is:

 Positive, the members (terms) will grow towards positive infinity.

 Negative, the members (terms) will grow towards negative infinity.


Contents
[hide]

 1 Sum

o 1.1 Derivation

 2 Product

 3 See also

 4 References

 5 External links

[edit]Sum

This section is about Finite arithmetic series. For Infinite arithmetic series, see Infinite arithmetic
series.
2 + 5 + 8 + 11 + 14 = 40
14 + 11 + 8 + 5 + 2 = 40

16 + 16 + 16 + 16 + 16 = 80
Computation of the sum 2 + 5 + 8 + 11 + 14. When the sequence is reversed and added to itself term by

term, the resulting sequence has a single repeated value in it, equal to the sum of the first and last

numbers (2 + 14 = 16). Thus 16 × 5 = 80 is twice the sum.

The sum of the members of a finite arithmetic progression is called an arithmetic series. For
example, consider the sum:

This sum can be found quickly by taking the number n of terms being added (here 5),
multiplying by the sum of the first and last number in the progression (here 2 + 14 = 16), and
dividing by 2:

In the case above, this gives:

This formula works for any real numbers and . For example:

[edit]Derivation

To derive the above formula, begin by expressing the arithmetic series in two
different ways:

Adding both sides of the two equations, all terms involving d cancel:

Dividing both sides by 2 produces a common form of the


equation:

An alternate form results from re-inserting the

substitution: :

In 499 AD Aryabhata, a prominent mathematician-


astronomer from the classical age of Indian
mathematics and Indian astronomy, gave this method in
the Aryabhatiya (section 2.18).[1]

[edit]Product

The product of the members of a finite arithmetic


progression with an initial element a1, common
differences d, and n elements in total is determined in a
closed expression

where denotes the rising

factorial and denotes the Gamma function.


(Note however that the formula is not valid

when is a negative integer or zero.)

This is a generalization from the fact that the

product of the progression is given by

the factorial and that the product

for positive integers and is given by

Taking the example from above, the


product of the terms of the arithmetic
progression given by an = 3 + (n-1)(5) up to
the 50th term is

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