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VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Specialist Mathematics => Topic started by: Aquilist on January 05, 2020, 10:02:06 am

Title: Help Please - Describing Sequences
Post by: Aquilist on January 05, 2020, 10:02:06 am

Hello, I don't understand how to create an equation when describing sequences.
I have this question:

For each of the following sequences, write a rule for obtaining the next term in the
sequence and hence evaluate the next three terms.
b {1, 0, −1, −2, . . .}
d {2, 5, 9, 14, 20, . . .}
f {2a − 5b, a − 2b, b, −a + 4b, . . .}
h {1.0, 1.1, 1.11, . . .}

May you please help?

Thanks,
Ella

Title: Re: Help Please - Describing Sequences
Post by: Bri MT on January 05, 2020, 10:12:24 am

Hi Ella,

Welcome to atarnotes!

So that you get more benefit out of people helping you, can you try describing each pattern in words? That way we can address whether it's recognising the pattern or knowing how to express it that's causing you difficulties.

For example, for the the first one
In words I would say "each term is the previous term minus one"
This could be expressed in an equation as \( a_{n+1}= a_n - 1  \)

For h remember that you can use operations other than just plus and minus :)


Hope this helps!