Sequences and Series
Definitions A sequence is a function whose domain is a set of consecutive integers. If not specified, it is understood that the domain starts with 1. Values in the range are called the terms of the sequence. A series is when the terms of sequence are added together A series can be finite or infinite (i.e. we can add a finite number of terms or all of the infinite number of terms
Arithmetic Sequence Terms have a common difference, denoted by d. Rule to find the nth term of the sequence: un=u1+(n-1)d
Arithmetic Series Expression formed by adding the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence. Will only work for a finite series.
Geometric Sequence Terms have a common ratio, denoted by r. Rule to find the nth term of the sequence:
Geometric Series Expression formed by adding the first n terms of a geometric sequence.
Infinite Geometric Series The sum is called a partial sum. These partial sums may approach a limiting value. If , then
Example In an arithmetic sequence, the first term is -7 and the sum of the first 20 terms is 620. 1) Find the common difference d. 2) Find the value of the 78th term.