ARITHMETIC and

GEOMETRIC MEANS

Lecture
by
J.K. Gondwe

May 11 ser-4 1
 LECTURE OBJECTIVES

• Understand arithmetic and geometric

means
• Solve problems involving arithmetic and
geometric means

May 11 ser-4 2
 DEFINITION
An arithmetic mean is the term between
any two terms of an arithmetic sequence.
It is simply the average (mean) of the
given terms.

May 11 ser-4 3
 Arithmetic mean
A " mean value" is a type of average.
The arithmetic mean of any two numbers
is found by adding them and dividing the
answer by 2
eg 4 and 16
4 + 16 = 20
20
= 10
2

May 11 ser-4 4
 Cont’d
In general, if three numbers a, b, c, are in arithmetical
progression b is called the arithmetic mean of a and c
a+c
=
2
Proof :
Given an AP , a, b, c
The common difference of an AP is given by
b - a or c - b
⇒ b-a = c-b
2b = a + c
a+c
b= ............. the mean of a and c
2
May 11 ser-4 5
 Cont’d
Consider an AP
2,5,8,11,14,17................
The average mean of 2 and 8 is 5
The average mean of 8 and 14 is 11
The average mean of 11 and 17 is 14 etc
The AP is a list of arithmetic means i.e. values
lying between two given terms so that the
complete series form an AP
May 11 ser-4 6
 Cont’d

The two terms 2 and 8 plus its mean form an AP

Thus 2,5,8 form an AP
similarly 8,11,14 and 11,14,17 etc

May 11 ser-4 7
Arithmetic Mean

When a, b and c are three

consecutive terms of arithmetic
sequence, the middle term b is
called the arithmetic mean of a
and c.
a+c
b=
2
May 11 ser-4 8
 Example
Insert two arithmetic means between 11
and 35.

a1 = a = 11..............(1)
a2 = a + d ................(2)
a3 = a + 2d ..............(3)
a4 = a + 3d ..............(4)
May 11 ser-4 9
Cont’d
Insert two arithmetic means between 11
and 35.
(4) − (1) 3d = 24
d =8
1 aritmetic mean = a + d = 19
st

2 aritmetic mean = a + 2d = 27
nd

May 11 ser-4 10
 Using mean
• The arithmetic mean of any two number
is the average of the numbers.
• The arithmetic mean can be used to find
missing terms of an arithmetic sequence.

May 11 ser-4 11
 Exercise

Find the missing terms of the arithmetic sequences

(a) 5, ___, 13, ….
(b) 4, ___, ___, ___, 16.....

May 11 ser-4 12
 Solutions

(a) 9
(b) 4, 7, 10, 13, 16.....

May 11 ser-4 13
 Exercise

Insert 4 arithmetic means between

the values 2 and 47

May 11 ser-4 14
 Solution

Note : 2 and 47 are two terms of a sequence

Inserting 4 arithmetic means between
2 and 47 brings the total number of
terms to 6, thus 47 is the 6th term

May 11 ser-4 15
 Solution
In an AP the 6th term is given by a + 5d
given the 6 th term = 47
a + 5d = 47 …..i
and the 1st term a = 2 …..ii
∴ 2 + 5d = 47
5d = 45
d=9
The arithmetic means are 2, 11, 20, 29, 38, 47

May 11 ser-4 16
 GEOMETRIC MEAN
• A type of average which indicates the central
tendency of a set of numbers
• If three numbers a, b, c are in geometric progression,
b is called the geometric mean

May 11 ser-4 17
 Cont’d
Given three numbers; a, b, c, in a geometric
progression,
the common ratio is given by :
b c
or
a b
b c
but =
a b
∴ b 2 = ac
b = ac

May 11 ser-4 18
 Cont’d
• A geometric mean is similar to an
arithmetic mean except that the set of
numbers are multiplied instead of being
added.
• The nth root of the resulting product is then
taken.

May 11 ser-4 19
 Example

The geometric mean of two numbers 2 and 8

2 × 8 = 16
=4
Note : the three numbers; 2,4,8 are in a geometric
progression.

May 11 ser-4 20
 Example

Insert five geometric means between 3 and 192

May 11 ser-4 21
 Solution
Since there are 5 geometrical means to be inserted,
there will be 7 terms in the series with,
first term = 3 and the 7th term = 192
the 7 term = 3r
th 6

3r = 192
6

r 6 = 64
r = 6 64
r=2
May 11 ser-4 22
 Cont’d
Since geometric means are terms in a series which
are calculated by multiplication with the common
ratio r , the 5 geometric means are :
3, 6,12, 24, 48, 96,192

May 11 ser-4 23
 Geometric mean

When x, y and z are three consecutive terms of

geometric sequence, the middle term y is called
the geometric mean of x and z.
y = ± xz

May 11 ser-4 24
 Exercise

Insert two geometric means between 16 and - 54.

May 11 ser-4 25
Solution

a1 = a = 16...........(1)
a2 = ar ...............(2)
a3 = ar .............(3)
2

a4 = ar = -54 .....(4)
3

May 11 ser-4 26
Solution
Substitute 1 in 4
16r = −54
3

− 54 − 27
r =
3
=
16 8
−3
r=
2
1st goemetric mean = ar = −24
2nd goemetric mean = ar = 36
2

May 11 ser-4 27