Progressions

AP, HP, GP,and Infinite GP

Arithmetic Progression (A.P.)
 Definition:
An arithmetic progression (A.P.) is a
sequence of numbers formed by adding a
constant number to the immediately
preceding term. This constant number is
called common difference (d). The terms
in the arithmetic progression are called
arithmetic means.
The nth term of A.P.
Consider the sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 ,..., am ,..., an
1st term: a1
2nd term: a2  a1  d
3rd term: a3  a2  d  a1  2d
4th term: a4  a3  d  a1  3d
Alternatively
nth term: an  a1  (n 1)d an  a m  ( n  m ) d
Sum of n terms in A.P.
Consider the sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 ,..., am ,..., an
Sn  a1  a2  a3  ...  an
Sn  a1  (a1  d )  (a1  2d )  ...   a1  (n  1)d   (1)
Do we get the same result by this?
Sn  an  an 1  an  2  ...  a1
Sn  an  (an  d )  (an  2d )  ...   an  (n  1)d   (2)
Eq(1)  Eq(2)
2 S n  na1  nan
n n
Sn   a1  an  or Sn   2a1  (n  1)d 
2 2
Problem
 In the progression 3, 5, 7, 9,…
1) How many terms have to be considered
in order to obtain a sum of 2600?
2) What is the 50th term of the progression?
3) If 25 terms are taken into consideration,
what is the value of the middle term?
Solution
1)Number of terms that would yield
a sum of 2600
n
Sn   2a1  (n  1)d 
2
n
2600   2(3)  ( n  1)(2) 
2
2600  (3n )  ( n 2  n )
n  2n  2600  0
2

(n  50)( 52)  0
use n  50
Solution
2)The 50th term of 3, 5, 7, 9,...
an  a1  (n  1)d
where a1  3, n  50 and d  2
a50  3  (50  1)2  101
3) The middle term of 3, 5, 7,9,... if there are 25 terms.
middle term amid  a n 1   a 251   a13
   
 2   2 

a13  a1  (13  1)d

a13  3  (13  1)2  27
Problem
 Determine the an  am  ( n  m )d
18th term of an
AP if its 12th term a12  a8  (12  8)d
is -16 and the 8th
term is -8.
16  8  4d
 d  2 and
a18  a12  (18  12)( 2)
a18  16  (18  12)( 2)
a18  28
Problem an  amid  (n  mid )d
 The last term of   n  1 
an AP is 38 and 38  13   n    d
the middle term is   2 
13. If the 8th term
is 23, find the n 1
25     d
sum of all the 2 2
terms.
( n  1)d  50  Eq (1)
an  a1  (n  1)d
38  a1  50
a1  12
Problem an  a8  ( n  8)d
38  23  ( n  8)d
 The last term of
15  ( n  8)d  Eq (2)
an AP is 38 and
the middle term is Eq (1)  Eq (2)
13. If the 8th term 50 n  1
is 23, find the 
sum of all the 15 n  8
terms. 50n  400  15n  15
35n  385  n  11
n
Sn   a1  an 
2
11
S11   12  38  143
2
Problem
 P36, 000 is to divided among Arthur,
Bernard and Carlos such that their shares
in the same order form an arithmetic
progression. Bernard’s share is 3 times of
Arthur. How much is Arthur’s share?
Solution
A  B  C  36000  eq (1)
A, B, C is an AP where B  3 A  eq (2)
Therefore A, 3A, C is in AP
it follows that
3A  A  C  3A
C  5A  eq(3)
Combine eq (1), eq (2), and eq(3)
A+3A+5A=3600
A=P4000
Problem
 Find the quotient if the sum of all odd integers
between 100 and 1000 is divided by 5.
The sequence of odd integers from 100 to 1000 forms
an arithmetic progression with a1  101, an  999, and d  2
an  a1  (n  1)d
999  101  ( n  1)2
n
n  450 From Sn   a1  an  , we can have
2
50
S50  101  999   27500
2
S50 27500
Quotient    5500
5 5
Harmonic Progression (HP)
 Definition:
A harmonic progression is a sequence of
numbers whose reciprocals form an arithmetic
progression.

If the sequence a1 , a2 , a3 ,..., an is an H.P.,

1 1 1 1
then , , ,..., forms an A.P.
a1 a2 a3 an
Problem
1 1 1
The numbers 1, , , ,...are in harmonic
5 9 x
progression. 1) Compute the value of x.
2) Find the 10th term.
1 1 1
1, , ,  harmonic progression
5 9 x
1, 5, 9, x  arithmetic progression
1) Value of x
common difference
x -9  9-5
x  13
Problem
1 1 1
The numbers 1, , , ,...are in harmonic
5 9 x
progression. 1) Compute the value of x.
2) Find the 10th term.
1 1 1
1, , ,  harmonic progression
5 9 x
1, 5, 9, x  arithmetic progression
2) 10th term of the harmonic sequence
an  a1  ( n  1)d
a10  1  (10  1)(4)  37
1
h10 
37
Geometric Progression (G.P.)
 Definition:
A geometric progression (G.P.) is a
sequence of numbers formed by
multiplying a constant number to the
immediately preceding term. This constant
number is called common ratio (r). The
terms in a geometric progression are
called geometric means.
The nth term in a GP
Consider the sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 ,..., am ,..., an
1st term: a1
2nd term: a2  a1 ( r )
3rd term: a3  a2 (r )  a1r 2
4th term: a4  a3 ( r )  a1r 3

nth term: an  a1r ( n 1)

an  am r ( n  m )
Sum of n terms in GP
Consider the sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 ,..., am ,..., an
Sn  a1  a2  a3  ...  an
Sn  a1  ( a1r )  (a1r 2 )  ...   a1r ( n 1)   (1)
Sn r  a1r  (a1r 2 )  (a1r 3 )  ...  a1r n   (2)
Eq(1)  Eq(2)
Sn 1  r   a1  a1r n
a1 1  r n 
Sn 
1 r
Infinite GP
Consider the sequence
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 ,...
The sum of infinite GP can be obtained as
a1 1  r n 
S  lim Sn  lim
n  n  1 r
lim 1  r n 
a1
S
1  r n
for  1  r  1, lim r n  0
n 

a1
S
1 r
Problem
 There are 6 geometric means between 3
and 6561.
1) Find the sum of the sequence.
2) Find the 6th term of the sequence.
Solution
The sequence is 3, _, _, _, _, _, _,6561
 n  8, a1  3 and a8  6561
(81)
a8  a1r
6561  3r 7

2187  r 7

r3
Solution
1) The sum of the sequence is
a1 (1  r n )
Sn 
1 r
3(1  38 )
S8   9840
1 3
2) The value of the 6th term
a6  a8r (68)
2
a6  6561(3)
a6  729
Problem 1) The value of x
x  2 112
 The numbers 28, 
28 x2
x+2, 112 form a
 x  2  28(112)
2
geometric
progression. 1)
x  54
Find the value of
x. 2) Find the 2) The common ratio r
common ratio. x  2 54  2
3) What is the r  2
10th term? 28 28
3) The value of the 10th term
a10  a1r10-1
a10  28(2)9  14336
Problem
 The first and the last terms of a G.P. are 6
and 486 respectively. If the sum of all
terms is 726, what is the third term?
Solution
Given : A GP with
a1  6, an  486 and Sn  726
n
a1 (1- r )
Sn  
1 r
n
6(1- r )
726 
1 r
121  121r  1  r n

r n  121r  120  Eq(1)

Solution
The nth term of GP
n
a r
an  a1r n 1  1
r
6r n
486 
r
r n  81r  Eq(2)
Combine Eq(1) and Eq(2)
81r  121r  120
r3
The 3rd term of the sequence is
a3  a1r n 1  6(3)31  54
Problem
 There are 4 geometric means between 3 and
729. Find the sum of the G.P.

3, , , , , 729
an  a1r n 1 a1 1  r n 
Sn 
729  3r 6 1 1 r
3 1  3 
6

r  243  3
5 5
S6   1, 092
1 3
r  3
Problem
 A bacterium in a culture divides into two
bacteria every hour. How many bacteria
will there be at the end of 1 day if there
are 3 bacteria at the very start?
Solution
0 1 2 3 4 23 24

a1=3
a2=6 a =12
3
a4
a5
a24

a25
Finding the nth term of a G.P.
a1  3, a2  6, a3  12, . . .
251
a25  a1r
a25  3(2) 24  50,331,648
Problem
1 1
Find the sum of 1,- , ,..., 
5 25
Solution: This is an infinite G.P.
a1 1
S where a1  1; r  -
1- r 5
1 1 5
S  
 1  5 1 6
1-   
 5 5
Problem
 A rubber ball is dropped from an initial
height of 5m. If the ball can rebound 2/3
of the height from which it falls, find the
total distance traveled by the ball before
coming to rest assuming the ball
continues to fall and rebound in this
manner.
h1  5 h1
h2 h3 h4 h5
2
h2   5
3
2
This is an infinite G.P with r 
3
Sum of heights S
h1 5 5
S    15
1- r 1- 2 3 - 2
3 3
h1
h2 h3 h4 h5

Distance traveled by the ball

D  2S - 5
D  2(15) - 5  25m
 End
That’s all for now!