If | r | < 1 then the limit of the partial sums as n approaches infinity exists and we can write, S n = a 1 ( 1 − r n ) 1 − r = a 1 1 − r ( 1 − r n ) Consider the nth partial sum of any geometric sequence, This is read, “the limit of ( 1 − r n ) as n approaches infinity equals 1.” While this gives a preview of what is to come in your continuing study of mathematics, at this point we are concerned with developing a formula for special infinite geometric series. Lim n → ∞ ( 1 − r n ) = 1 w h e r e | r | < 1 This illustrates the idea of a limit, an important concept used extensively in higher-level mathematics, which is expressed using the following notation: Here we can see that this factor gets closer and closer to 1 for increasingly larger values of n. If the common ratio r of an infinite geometric sequence is a fraction where | r | < 1 (that is − 1 < r < 1), then the factor ( 1 − r n ) found in the formula for the nth partial sum tends toward 1 as n increases. For example, to calculate the sum of the first 15 terms of the geometric sequence defined by a n = 3 n + 1, use the formula with a 1 = 9 and r = 3. In other words, the nth partial sum of any geometric sequence can be calculated using the first term and the common ratio. S n − r S n = a 1 − a 1 r n S n ( 1 − r ) = a 1 ( 1 − r n )Īssuming r ≠ 1 dividing both sides by ( 1 − r ) leads us to the formula for the nth partial sum of a geometric sequence The sum of the first n terms of a geometric sequence, given by the formula: S n = a 1 ( 1 − r n ) 1 − r, r ≠ 1. Subtracting these two equations we then obtain, R S n = a 1 r + a 1 r 2 + a 1 r 3 + … + a 1 r n Multiplying both sides by r we can write, S n = a 1 + a 1 r + a 1 r 2 + … + a 1 r n − 1 Therefore, we next develop a formula that can be used to calculate the sum of the first n terms of any geometric sequence. However, the task of adding a large number of terms is not. For example, the sum of the first 5 terms of the geometric sequence defined by a n = 3 n + 1 follows: is the sum of the terms of a geometric sequence. In fact, any general term that is exponential in n is a geometric sequence.Ī geometric series The sum of the terms of a geometric sequence. In general, given the first term a 1 and the common ratio r of a geometric sequence we can write the following:Ī 2 = r a 1 a 3 = r a 2 = r ( a 1 r ) = a 1 r 2 a 4 = r a 3 = r ( a 1 r 2 ) = a 1 r 3 a 5 = r a 3 = r ( a 1 r 3 ) = a 1 r 4 ⋮įrom this we see that any geometric sequence can be written in terms of its first element, its common ratio, and the index as follows:Ī n = a 1 r n − 1 G e o m e t r i c S e q u e n c e Here a 1 = 9 and the ratio between any two successive terms is 3. For example, the following is a geometric sequence, A geometric sequence A sequence of numbers where each successive number is the product of the previous number and some constant r., or geometric progression Used when referring to a geometric sequence., is a sequence of numbers where each successive number is the product of the previous number and some constant r.Ī n = r a n − 1 G e o m e t i c S e q u e n c eĪnd because a n a n − 1 = r, the constant factor r is called the common ratio The constant r that is obtained from dividing any two successive terms of a geometric sequence a n a n − 1 = r.
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