Someone treats the word "progression" with caution, as a very complex term from the sections of higher mathematics. Meanwhile, the simplest arithmetic progression is the work of the taxi counter (where they still remain). And to understand the essence (and in mathematics there is nothing more important than “to understand the essence”) of an arithmetic sequence is not so difficult, having analyzed a few elementary concepts.
Mathematical number sequence
It is customary to call a numerical sequence a series of numbers, each of which has its own number.
and 1 is the first member of the sequence;
and 2 is the second member of the sequence;
and 7 is the seventh member of the sequence;
and n is the nth member of the sequence;
However, not any arbitrary set of figures and numbers interests us. We will focus our attention on a numerical sequence in which the value of the n-th member is related to its ordinal number by a dependence that can be clearly formulated mathematically. In other words: the numerical value of the n-th number is some function of n.
a - value of a member of the numerical sequence;
n is its serial number;
f(n) is a function where the ordinal in the numeric sequence n is the argument.
Definition
An arithmetic progression is usually called a numerical sequence in which each subsequent term is greater (less) than the previous one by the same number. The formula for the nth member of an arithmetic sequence is as follows:
a n - the value of the current member of the arithmetic progression;
a n+1 - the formula of the next number;
d - difference (a certain number).
It is easy to determine that if the difference is positive (d>0), then each subsequent member of the series under consideration will be greater than the previous one, and such an arithmetic progression will be increasing.
In the graph below, it is easy to see why the number sequence is called "increasing".
In cases where the difference is negative (d<0), каждый последующий член по понятным причинам будет меньше предыдущего, график прогрессии станет «уходить» вниз, арифметическая прогрессия, соответственно, будет именоваться убывающей.
The value of the specified member
Sometimes it is necessary to determine the value of some arbitrary term a n of an arithmetic progression. You can do this by calculating successively the values of all members of the arithmetic progression, from the first to the desired one. However, this way is not always acceptable if, for example, it is necessary to find the value of the five thousandth or eight millionth term. The traditional calculation will take a long time. However, a specific arithmetic progression can be investigated using certain formulas. There is also a formula for the nth term: the value of any member of an arithmetic progression can be determined as the sum of the first member of the progression with the difference of the progression, multiplied by the number of the desired member, minus one.
The formula is universal for increasing and decreasing progression.
An example of calculating the value of a given member
Let's solve the following problem of finding the value of the n-th member of an arithmetic progression.
Condition: there is an arithmetic progression with parameters:
The first member of the sequence is 3;
The difference in the number series is 1.2.
Task: it is necessary to find the value of 214 terms
Solution: to determine the value of a given member, we use the formula:
a(n) = a1 + d(n-1)
Substituting the data from the problem statement into the expression, we have:
a(214) = a1 + d(n-1)
a(214) = 3 + 1.2 (214-1) = 258.6
Answer: The 214th member of the sequence is equal to 258.6.
The advantages of this calculation method are obvious - the entire solution takes no more than 2 lines.
Sum of a given number of terms
Very often, in a given arithmetic series, it is required to determine the sum of the values of some of its segments. It also doesn't need to calculate the values of each term and then sum them up. This method is applicable if the number of terms whose sum must be found is small. In other cases, it is more convenient to use the following formula.
The sum of the members of an arithmetic progression from 1 to n is equal to the sum of the first and nth members, multiplied by the member number n and divided by two. If in the formula the value of the n-th member is replaced by the expression from the previous paragraph of the article, we get:
Calculation example
For example, let's solve a problem with the following conditions:
The first term of the sequence is zero;
The difference is 0.5.
In the problem, it is required to determine the sum of the terms of the series from 56 to 101.
Solution. Let's use the formula for determining the sum of the progression:
s(n) = (2∙a1 + d∙(n-1))∙n/2
First, we determine the sum of the values of 101 members of the progression by substituting the given conditions of our problem into the formula:
s 101 = (2∙0 + 0.5∙(101-1))∙101/2 = 2 525
Obviously, in order to find out the sum of the terms of the progression from the 56th to the 101st, it is necessary to subtract S 55 from S 101.
s 55 = (2∙0 + 0.5∙(55-1))∙55/2 = 742.5
So the sum of the arithmetic progression for this example is:
s 101 - s 55 \u003d 2,525 - 742.5 \u003d 1,782.5
Example of practical application of arithmetic progression
At the end of the article, let's return to the example of the arithmetic sequence given in the first paragraph - a taximeter (taxi car meter). Let's consider such an example.
Getting into a taxi (which includes 3 km) costs 50 rubles. Each subsequent kilometer is paid at the rate of 22 rubles / km. Travel distance 30 km. Calculate the cost of the trip.
1. Let's discard the first 3 km, the price of which is included in the landing cost.
30 - 3 = 27 km.
2. Further calculation is nothing more than parsing an arithmetic number series.
The member number is the number of kilometers traveled (minus the first three).
The value of the member is the sum.
The first term in this problem will be equal to a 1 = 50 rubles.
Progression difference d = 22 p.
the number of interest to us - the value of the (27 + 1)th member of the arithmetic progression - the meter reading at the end of the 27th kilometer - 27.999 ... = 28 km.
a 28 \u003d 50 + 22 ∙ (28 - 1) \u003d 644
Calculations of calendar data for an arbitrarily long period are based on formulas describing certain numerical sequences. In astronomy, the length of the orbit is geometrically dependent on the distance of the celestial body to the luminary. In addition, various numerical series are successfully used in statistics and other applied branches of mathematics.
Another kind of number sequence is geometric
A geometric progression is characterized by a large, compared with an arithmetic, rate of change. It is no coincidence that in politics, sociology, medicine, often, in order to show the high speed of the spread of a particular phenomenon, for example, a disease during an epidemic, they say that the process develops exponentially.
The N-th member of the geometric number series differs from the previous one in that it is multiplied by some constant number - the denominator, for example, the first member is 1, the denominator is 2, respectively, then:
n=1: 1 ∙ 2 = 2
n=2: 2 ∙ 2 = 4
n=3: 4 ∙ 2 = 8
n=4: 8 ∙ 2 = 16
n=5: 16 ∙ 2 = 32,
b n - the value of the current member of the geometric progression;
b n+1 - the formula of the next member of the geometric progression;
q is the denominator of a geometric progression (constant number).
If the graph of an arithmetic progression is a straight line, then the geometric one draws a slightly different picture:
As in the case of arithmetic, a geometric progression has a formula for the value of an arbitrary member. Any n-th term of a geometric progression is equal to the product of the first term and the denominator of the progression to the power of n reduced by one:
Example. We have a geometric progression with the first term equal to 3 and the denominator of the progression equal to 1.5. Find the 5th term of the progression
b 5 \u003d b 1 ∙ q (5-1) \u003d 3 ∙ 1.5 4 \u003d 15.1875
The sum of a given number of members is also calculated using a special formula. The sum of the first n members of a geometric progression is equal to the difference between the product of the nth member of the progression and its denominator and the first member of the progression, divided by the denominator reduced by one:
If b n is replaced using the formula discussed above, the value of the sum of the first n members of the considered number series will take the form:
Example. The geometric progression starts with the first term equal to 1. The denominator is set equal to 3. Let's find the sum of the first eight terms.
s8 = 1 ∙ (3 8 -1) / (3-1) = 3 280
Many have heard of an arithmetic progression, but not everyone is well aware of what it is. In this article, we will give the corresponding definition, and also consider the question of how to find the difference of an arithmetic progression, and give a number of examples.
Mathematical definition
So, if we are talking about an arithmetic or algebraic progression (these concepts define the same thing), then this means that there is some number series that satisfies the following law: every two adjacent numbers in the series differ by the same value. Mathematically, this is written like this:
Here n means the number of the element a n in the sequence, and the number d is the difference of the progression (its name follows from the presented formula).
What does knowing the difference d mean? About how far apart adjacent numbers are. However, knowledge of d is a necessary but not sufficient condition for determining (restoring) the entire progression. You need to know one more number, which can be absolutely any element of the series under consideration, for example, a 4, a10, but, as a rule, the first number is used, that is, a 1.
Formulas for determining the elements of the progression
In general, the information above is already enough to move on to solving specific problems. Nevertheless, before an arithmetic progression is given, and it will be necessary to find its difference, we present a couple of useful formulas, thereby facilitating the subsequent process of solving problems.
It is easy to show that any element of the sequence with number n can be found as follows:
a n \u003d a 1 + (n - 1) * d
Indeed, everyone can check this formula by simple enumeration: if we substitute n = 1, then we get the first element, if we substitute n = 2, then the expression gives the sum of the first number and the difference, and so on.
The conditions of many problems are compiled in such a way that for a known pair of numbers, the numbers of which are also given in the sequence, it is necessary to restore the entire number series (find the difference and the first element). Now we will solve this problem in a general way.
So, let's say we are given two elements with numbers n and m. Using the formula obtained above, we can compose a system of two equations:
a n \u003d a 1 + (n - 1) * d;
a m = a 1 + (m - 1) * d
To find unknown quantities, we use a well-known simple method for solving such a system: we subtract the left and right parts in pairs, while the equality remains valid. We have:
a n \u003d a 1 + (n - 1) * d;
a n - a m = (n - 1) * d - (m - 1) * d = d * (n - m)
Thus, we have eliminated one unknown (a 1). Now we can write the final expression for determining d:
d = (a n - a m) / (n - m), where n > m
We have obtained a very simple formula: in order to calculate the difference d in accordance with the conditions of the problem, it is only necessary to take the ratio of the differences between the elements themselves and their serial numbers. Attention should be paid to one important point: the differences are taken between the "senior" and "junior" members, that is, n\u003e m ("senior" - meaning standing farther from the beginning of the sequence, its absolute value can be either more or less more "younger" element).
The expression for the difference d of the progression should be substituted into any of the equations at the beginning of the solution of the problem in order to obtain the value of the first term.
In our age of computer technology development, many schoolchildren try to find solutions for their tasks on the Internet, so questions of this type often arise: find the difference of an arithmetic progression online. Upon such a request, the search engine will display a number of web pages, by going to which, you will need to enter the data known from the condition (it can be either two members of the progression, or the sum of some of them) and instantly get an answer. Nevertheless, such an approach to solving the problem is unproductive in terms of the development of the student and understanding the essence of the task assigned to him.
Solution without using formulas
Let's solve the first problem, while we will not use any of the above formulas. Let the elements of the series be given: a6 = 3, a9 = 18. Find the difference of the arithmetic progression.
Known elements are close to each other in a row. How many times must the difference d be added to the smallest one to get the largest one? Three times (the first time adding d, we get the 7th element, the second time - the eighth, finally, the third time - the ninth). What number must be added to three three times to get 18? This is the number five. Really:
Thus, the unknown difference is d = 5.
Of course, the solution could be done using the appropriate formula, but this was not done intentionally. A detailed explanation of the solution to the problem should become a clear and vivid example of what an arithmetic progression is.
A task similar to the previous one
Now let's solve a similar problem, but change the input data. So, you should find if a3 = 2, a9 = 19.
Of course, you can resort again to the method of solving "on the forehead". But since the elements of the series are given, which are relatively far apart, such a method becomes not very convenient. But using the resulting formula will quickly lead us to the answer:
d \u003d (a 9 - a 3) / (9 - 3) \u003d (19 - 2) / (6) \u003d 17 / 6 ≈ 2.83
Here we have rounded the final number. How much this rounding led to an error can be judged by checking the result:
a 9 \u003d a 3 + 2.83 + 2.83 + 2.83 + 2.83 + 2.83 + 2.83 \u003d 18.98
This result differs by only 0.1% from the value given in the condition. Therefore, rounding to hundredths used can be considered a good choice.
Tasks for applying the formula for an member
Let's consider a classic example of the problem of determining the unknown d: find the difference of the arithmetic progression if a1 = 12, a5 = 40.
When two numbers of an unknown algebraic sequence are given, and one of them is the element a 1 , then you do not need to think long, but you should immediately apply the formula for the a n member. In this case we have:
a 5 = a 1 + d * (5 - 1) => d = (a 5 - a 1) / 4 = (40 - 12) / 4 = 7
We got the exact number when dividing, so there is no point in checking the accuracy of the calculated result, as was done in the previous paragraph.
Let's solve another similar problem: we should find the difference of the arithmetic progression if a1 = 16, a8 = 37.
We use a similar approach to the previous one and get:
a 8 = a 1 + d * (8 - 1) => d = (a 8 - a 1) / 7 = (37 - 16) / 7 = 3
What else you should know about arithmetic progression
In addition to problems of finding an unknown difference or individual elements, it is often necessary to solve problems of the sum of the first terms of a sequence. The consideration of these problems is beyond the scope of the topic of the article, however, for completeness of information, we present a general formula for the sum of n numbers of the series:
∑ n i = 1 (a i) = n * (a 1 + a n) / 2
Or arithmetic - this is a type of ordered numerical sequence, the properties of which are studied in a school algebra course. This article discusses in detail the question of how to find the sum of an arithmetic progression.
What is this progression?
Before proceeding to the consideration of the question (how to find the sum of an arithmetic progression), it is worth understanding what will be discussed.
Any sequence of real numbers that is obtained by adding (subtracting) some value from each previous number is called an algebraic (arithmetic) progression. This definition, translated into the language of mathematics, takes the form:
Here i is the ordinal number of the element of the series a i . Thus, knowing only one initial number, you can easily restore the entire series. The parameter d in the formula is called the progression difference.
It can be easily shown that the following equality holds for the series of numbers under consideration:
a n \u003d a 1 + d * (n - 1).
That is, to find the value of the n-th element in order, add the difference d to the first element a 1 n-1 times.
What is the sum of an arithmetic progression: formula
Before giving the formula for the indicated amount, it is worth considering a simple special case. Given a progression of natural numbers from 1 to 10, you need to find their sum. Since there are few terms in the progression (10), it is possible to solve the problem head-on, that is, sum all the elements in order.
S 10 \u003d 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 \u003d 55.
It is worth considering one interesting thing: since each term differs from the next one by the same value d \u003d 1, then the pairwise summation of the first with the tenth, the second with the ninth, and so on will give the same result. Really:
11 = 1+10 = 2+9 = 3+8 = 4+7 = 5+6.
As you can see, there are only 5 of these sums, that is, exactly two times less than the number of elements in the series. Then multiplying the number of sums (5) by the result of each sum (11), you will come to the result obtained in the first example.
If we generalize these arguments, we can write the following expression:
S n \u003d n * (a 1 + a n) / 2.
This expression shows that it is not at all necessary to sum all the elements in a row, it is enough to know the value of the first a 1 and the last a n , as well as the total number of terms n.
It is believed that Gauss first thought of this equality when he was looking for a solution to the problem set by his school teacher: to sum the first 100 integers.
Sum of elements from m to n: formula
The formula given in the previous paragraph answers the question of how to find the sum of an arithmetic progression (of the first elements), but often in tasks it is necessary to sum a series of numbers in the middle of the progression. How to do it?
The easiest way to answer this question is by considering the following example: let it be necessary to find the sum of terms from the mth to the nth. To solve the problem, a given segment from m to n of the progression should be represented as a new number series. In this representation, the m-th member a m will be the first, and a n will be numbered n-(m-1). In this case, applying the standard formula for the sum, the following expression will be obtained:
S m n \u003d (n - m + 1) * (a m + a n) / 2.
Example of using formulas
Knowing how to find the sum of an arithmetic progression, it is worth considering a simple example of using the above formulas.
Below is a numerical sequence, you should find the sum of its members, starting from the 5th and ending with the 12th:
The given numbers indicate that the difference d is equal to 3. Using the expression for the nth element, you can find the values of the 5th and 12th members of the progression. It turns out:
a 5 \u003d a 1 + d * 4 \u003d -4 + 3 * 4 \u003d 8;
a 12 \u003d a 1 + d * 11 \u003d -4 + 3 * 11 \u003d 29.
Knowing the values \u200b\u200bof the numbers at the ends of the algebraic progression under consideration, and also knowing which numbers in the series they occupy, you can use the formula for the sum obtained in the previous paragraph. Get:
S 5 12 \u003d (12 - 5 + 1) * (8 + 29) / 2 \u003d 148.
It is worth noting that this value could be obtained differently: first, find the sum of the first 12 elements using the standard formula, then calculate the sum of the first 4 elements using the same formula, and then subtract the second from the first sum.
Arithmetic and geometric progressions
Theoretical information
Theoretical information
Arithmetic progression |
Geometric progression |
|
Definition |
Arithmetic progression a n a sequence is called, each member of which, starting from the second, is equal to the previous member, added with the same number d (d- progression difference) |
geometric progression b n a sequence of non-zero numbers is called, each term of which, starting from the second, is equal to the previous term multiplied by the same number q (q- denominator of progression) |
Recurrent formula |
For any natural n |
For any natural n |
nth term formula |
a n = a 1 + d (n - 1) |
b n \u003d b 1 ∙ q n - 1, b n ≠ 0 |
| characteristic property |  |
|
| Sum of the first n terms |  |
 |
Examples of tasks with comments
Exercise 1
In arithmetic progression ( a n) a 1 = -6, a 2
According to the formula of the nth term:
a 22 = a 1+ d (22 - 1) = a 1+ 21d
By condition:
a 1= -6, so a 22= -6 + 21d.
It is necessary to find the difference of progressions:
d= a 2 – a 1 = -8 – (-6) = -2
a 22 = -6 + 21 ∙ (-2) = - 48.
Answer : a 22 = -48.
Task 2
Find the fifth term of the geometric progression: -3; 6;....
1st way (using n-term formula)
According to the formula of the n-th member of a geometric progression:
b 5 \u003d b 1 ∙ q 5 - 1 = b 1 ∙ q 4.
Because b 1 = -3,
2nd way (using recursive formula)
Since the denominator of the progression is -2 (q = -2), then:
b 3 = 6 ∙ (-2) = -12;
b 4 = -12 ∙ (-2) = 24;
b 5 = 24 ∙ (-2) = -48.
Answer : b 5 = -48.
Task 3
In arithmetic progression ( a n) a 74 = 34; a 76= 156. Find the seventy-fifth term of this progression.
For an arithmetic progression, the characteristic property has the form 
.
Therefore:
.
Substitute the data in the formula:
Answer: 95.
Task 4
In arithmetic progression ( a n ) a n= 3n - 4. Find the sum of the first seventeen terms.
To find the sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic progression, two formulas are used:
.
Which of them is more convenient to apply in this case?
By condition, the formula of the nth member of the original progression is known ( a n) a n= 3n - 4. Can be found immediately and a 1, And a 16 without finding d . Therefore, we use the first formula.
Answer: 368.
Task 5
In arithmetic progression a n) a 1 = -6; a 2= -8. Find the twenty-second term of the progression.
According to the formula of the nth term:
a 22 = a 1 + d (22 – 1) = a 1+ 21d.
By condition, if a 1= -6, then a 22= -6 + 21d. It is necessary to find the difference of progressions:
d= a 2 – a 1 = -8 – (-6) = -2
a 22 = -6 + 21 ∙ (-2) = -48.
Answer : a 22 = -48.
Task 6
Several consecutive terms of a geometric progression are recorded:
Find the term of the progression, denoted by the letter x .
When solving, we use the formula for the nth term b n \u003d b 1 ∙ q n - 1 for geometric progressions. The first member of the progression. To find the denominator of the progression q, you need to take any of these terms of the progression and divide by the previous one. In our example, you can take and divide by. We get that q \u003d 3. Instead of n, we substitute 3 in the formula, since it is necessary to find the third term of a given geometric progression.
Substituting the found values into the formula, we get:
.
Answer : .
Task 7
From the arithmetic progressions given by the formula of the nth term, choose the one for which the condition is satisfied a 27 > 9:
Since the specified condition must be satisfied for the 27th term of the progression, we substitute 27 instead of n in each of the four progressions. In the 4th progression we get:
.
Answer: 4.
Task 8
In arithmetic progression a 1= 3, d = -1.5. Specify the largest value of n for which the inequality holds a n > -6.
The concept of a numerical sequence implies that each natural number corresponds to some real value. Such a series of numbers can be both arbitrary and have certain properties - a progression. In the latter case, each subsequent element (member) of the sequence can be calculated using the previous one.
An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numerical values in which its neighboring members differ from each other by the same number (all elements of the series, starting from the 2nd, have a similar property). This number - the difference between the previous and subsequent member - is constant and is called the progression difference.
Progression Difference: Definition
Consider a sequence consisting of j values A = a(1), a(2), a(3), a(4) … a(j), j belongs to the set of natural numbers N. An arithmetic progression, according to its definition, is a sequence , in which a(3) - a(2) = a(4) - a(3) = a(5) - a(4) = ... = a(j) - a(j-1) = d. The value of d is the desired difference of this progression.
d = a(j) - a(j-1).
Allocate:
- An increasing progression, in which case d > 0. Example: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, …
- decreasing progression, then d< 0. Пример: 18, 13, 8, 3, -2, …
Difference of progression and its arbitrary elements
If 2 arbitrary members of the progression (i-th, k-th) are known, then the difference for this sequence can be established based on the relation:
a(i) = a(k) + (i - k)*d, so d = (a(i) - a(k))/(i-k).
The progression difference and its first term
This expression will help determine the unknown value only in cases where the number of the sequence element is known.
Progression difference and its sum
The sum of a progression is the sum of its members. To calculate the total value of its first j elements, use the corresponding formula:
S(j) =((a(1) + a(j))/2)*j, but since a(j) = a(1) + d(j – 1), then S(j) = ((a(1) + a(1) + d(j – 1))/2)*j=(( 2a(1) + d(– 1))/2)*j.
