Sequences and Series - Examples & Applications

This section provides step-by-step examples on how to analyze ordered lists of numbers. You will learn to find specific terms and sums of arithmetic and geometric sequences, evaluate infinite series, and expand binomials using the Binomial Theorem.

Arithmetic Progressions (AP)

An arithmetic progression has a constant common difference (dd) between consecutive terms. The nn-th term is an=a1+(n1)da_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d.

Example

Example 1: Finding the nth Term (Basic) Find the 1515th term of the arithmetic sequence: 4,7,10,13,4, 7, 10, 13, \dots

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Example

Example 2: Finding the Number of Terms (Intermediate) How many terms are in the arithmetic sequence: 5,9,13,,815, 9, 13, \dots , 81?

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Example

Example 3: Sum of an Arithmetic Series (Advanced) Find the sum of the first 5050 odd positive integers.

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Geometric Progressions (GP)

A geometric progression has a constant common ratio (rr) between consecutive terms. The nn-th term is an=a1rn1a_n = a_1 \cdot r^{n-1}.

Example

Example 1: Finding a Specific Term (Intermediate) Find the 77th term of the geometric sequence: 3,6,12,24,3, -6, 12, -24, \dots

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Example

Example 2: Infinite Geometric Series (Advanced) Find the sum of the infinite geometric series: 10+5+2.5+1.25+10 + 5 + 2.5 + 1.25 + \dots

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Harmonic Progressions (HP)

A sequence is in harmonic progression if the reciprocals of its terms form an arithmetic progression. To solve problems involving HPs, convert the terms to their reciprocals, solve as an AP, and then invert the result.

Example

Example 1: Finding the nth Term of an HP (Intermediate) Find the 6th term of the harmonic progression 1/3,1/7,1/11,1/3, 1/7, 1/11, \dots.

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The Binomial Theorem

The Binomial Theorem is a method for expanding expressions of the form (a+b)n(a + b)^n without doing manual multiplication.

Example

Example 1: Expanding a Binomial (Advanced) Expand (2xy)4(2x - y)^4 using the Binomial Theorem.

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