LECTURE

SEQUENCE

A sequence is just a list of elements usually written in a row.

EXAMPLES
1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …
2. 4, 8, 12, 16, 20,…
3. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …
4. 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, …
5. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, …
6. 1, -1, 1, -1, 1, -1, …
NOTE:
The symbol “…” is called ellipsis, and reads “and so forth”
FORMAL DEFINITION

A sequence is a function whose domain is the set of integers greater than or

equal to a particular integer n0.
Usually this set is the set of Natural numbers {1, 2, 3, …} or the set of
whole numbers {0, 1, 2, 3, …}.
NOTATION
We use the notation an to denote the image of the integer n, and call it a term
of the sequence. Thus
a1, a2, a3, a4, …, an, …
represent the terms of a sequence defined on the set of natural numbers N.
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Note that a sequence is described by listing the terms of the sequence in
order of increasing subscripts.
FINDING TERMS OF A SEQUENCE GIVEN BY AN EXPLICIT
FORMULA

An explicit formula or general formula for a sequence is a rule that shows

how the values of ak depends on k.

EXAMPLE
Define a sequence a1, a2, a3, … by the explicit formula
k
ak  for all integers k 1
k 1
The first four terms of the sequence are:
1 1 2 2 3 3
a1   , a2   , a3  
1 1 2 2 1 3 3 1 4
4 4
and fourth term isa4  
4 1 5
EXAMPLE

Write the first four terms of the sequence defined by the formula
bj = 1 + 2j, for all integers j  0
SOLUTION
b0 = 1 + 2 0 = 1 + 1 = 2
b1 = 1 + 2 1 = 1 + 2 = 3
b2 = 1 + 2 2 = 1 + 4 = 5
b3 = 1 + 2 3 = 1 + 8 = 9
REMARK
The formula bj = 1 + 2j, for all integers j  0 defines an infinite sequence
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having infinite number of values.
 EXERCISE

Compute the first six terms of the sequence defined by the formula
Cn = 1+ (-1)n for all integers n  0
SOLUTION
C0 = 1 + (-1)0 = 1 + 1 = 2 C1 = 1 + (-1)1 = 1 + (-1) = 0
C2 = 1 + (-1)2 = 1 + 1 = 2 C3 = 1 + (-1)1 = 1 + (-1) = 0
C4 = 1 + (-1)4 = 1 + 1 = 2 C5 = 1 + (-1)5 = 1 + (-1) = 0
REMARK:
(1)If n is even, then Cn = 2 and if n is odd, then Cn = 0
Hence, the sequence oscillates endlessly between 2 and 0.
(2) An infinite sequence may have only a finite number of values.
EXAMPLE

Write the first four terms of the sequence defined by

( 1) n n
Cn  for all integers n 1
n 1
SOLUTION

( 1)1 (1)  1 ( 1)2 (2) 2 ( 1)3 (3)  3

C1   , C2   , C3  
1 1 2 2 1 3 3 1 4
( 1) 4 (4) 4
And fourth erm isC4  
4 1 5
REMARK
A sequence whose terms alternate in sign
is called an alternating sequence.
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 EXERCISE

Find explicit formulas for sequences with the initial terms given:
1. 0, 1, -2, 3, -4, 5, …
SOLUTION
an = (-1)n+1n for all integers n  0

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2. 1  ,  ,  ,  ,
2 2 3 3 4 4 5

SOLUTION 1 1
bk   for all integers n 1
k k 1

3. 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56, …

SOLUTION
Cn = n (n + 1) for all integers n  1
4. 1/4, 2/9, 3/16, 4/25, 5/36, 6/49, …
SOLUTION
i
di  for all integers i 1
(i  1) 2
OR

j 1
dj  for all integers j 0
( j  2) 2
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 ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE

A sequence in which every term after the first is obtained from the
preceding term by adding a constant number is called an arithmetic
sequence or arithmetic progression (A.P.)
The constant number, being the difference of any two consecutive terms is
called the common difference of A.P., commonly denoted by “d”.

EXAMPLES
1. 5, 9, 13, 17, … (common difference = 4)
2. 0, -5, -10, -15, … (common difference = -5)
3. x + a, x + 3a, x + 5a, … (common difference = 2a)

GENERAL TERM OF AN ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE

Let a be the first term and d be the common difference of an arithmetic

sequence. Then the sequence is
a, a+d, a+2d, a+3d, …
If ai, for i  1, represents the terms of the sequence then
a1 = first term = a = a + (1-1) d
a2 = second term = a + d = a + (2-1) d
a3 = third term = a + 2d = a + (3 -1) d
By symmetry
an = nth term = a + (n - 1)d for all integers n 1.
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 EXAMPLE

Find the 20th term of the arithmetic sequence

3, 9, 15, 21, …
SOLUTION
Here a = first term = 3
d = common difference = 9 - 3 = 6
n = term number = 20
a20 = value of 20th term = ?
Since an = a + (n - 1) d; n 1
 a20 = 3 + (20 - 1) 6
= 3 + 114
= 117
EXAMPLE

Which term of the arithmetic sequence

4, 1, -2, …, is -77
SOLUTION
Here a = first term = 4
d = common difference = 1 - 4 = -3
an = value of nth term = - 77
n = term number = ?

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Since
an = a + (n - 1) d n 1
 - 77 = 4 + (n - 1) (-3)
 - 77 - 4 = (n - 1) (-3)
OR  81
n  1
3
OR
27 = n – 1
n = 28
Hence –77 is the 28th term of the given sequence.
EXERCISE

Find the 36th term of the arithmetic sequence whose 3rd term is 7 and 8th
term is 17.
SOLUTION
Let a be the first term and d be the common difference of the arithmetic
sequence.
Then an = a + (n - 1)d n1
 a3 = a + (3 - 1) d
and a8 = a + (8 - 1) d
Given that a3 = 7 and a8 = 17. Therefore
7 = a + 2d……………………(1)
and 17 = a + 7d………….………..(2)
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Subtracting (1) from (2), we get,
10 = 5d
 d=2
Substituting d = 2 in (1) we have
7 = a + 2(2)
which gives a = 3
Thus, an = a + (n - 1) d
an = 3 + (n - 1) 2 (using values of a and d)
Hence the value of 36th term is
a36 = 3 + (36 - 1) 2
= 3 + 70
= 73
GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE

A sequence in which every term after the first is obtained from the
preceding term by multiplying it with a constant number is called a
geometric sequence or geometric progression (G.P.)
The constant number, being the ratio of any two consecutive terms is called
the common ratio of the G.P. commonly denoted by “r”.
EXAMPLE
1. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, … (common ratio = 2)
2. 3, - 3/2, 3/4, - 3/8, … (common ratio = - 1/2)
3. 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, 0.0001, … (common ratio = 0.1 = 1/10)

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 GENERAL TERM OF A
GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE

Let a be the first tem and r be the common ratio of a geometric sequence.
Then the sequence is a, ar, ar2, ar3, …
If ai, for i  1 represent the terms of the sequence, then
a1 = first term = a = ar1-1
a2 = second term = ar = ar2-1
a3 = third term = ar2 = ar3-1
………………

………………

an = nth term = arn-1 ; for all integers n  1

EXAMPLE

Find the 8th term of the following geometric sequence

4, 12, 36, 108, …
SOLUTION
Here a = first term = 4
12
r = common ratio = =3
4
n = term number = 8
a8 = value of 8th term = ?
Since an = arn-1; n  1
 a8 = (4)(3)8-1
= 4 (2187)
= 8748
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 EXAMPLE

Which term of the geometric sequence is 1/8 if the first term is 4 and
common ratio 1/2.
SOLUTION
Given a = first term = 4
r = common ratio = 1/2
an = value of the nth term = 1/8
n = term number = ?
Since an = arn-1 n1
n 1
1  1
 4 
8  2
n 1
1  1
  
32  2 
5 n 1
 1  1
    
 2  2
 n  1 5  n 6
Hence 1/8 is the 6th term of the given G.P.

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 EXERCISE

Write the geometric sequence with positive terms whose second term is
9 and fourth term is 1.
SOLUTION
Let a be the first term and r be the common ratio of the geometric
sequence. Then
an = arn-1; n 1
Now a2 = ar2-1
 9 = ar………………….(1)
Also a4 = ar4-1
1 = ar3 …………………(2)
Dividing (2) by (1), we get,
1 ar 3

9 ar
1
 r 2
9
1  1
 r  rejecting r  
3  3

Substituting r = 1/3 in (1), we get

 1
9 a 
 3
 a 9 3 27
Hence the geometric sequence is
27, 9, 3, 1, 1/3, 1/9, … 11
 SEQUENCES IN
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

An important data type in computer programming consists of finite

sequences known as one-dimensional arrays; a single variable in which a
sequence of variables may be stored.
EXAMPLE
The names of k students in a class may be represented by an array of k
elements “name” as:
name [0], name[1], name[2], …, name[k-1]

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