Introduction to Sequences Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What is a term of a sequence?

Each separate number (or item) in the sequence.
e.g. in $3, 7, 11$ the 2nd term is $7$.

What is a term-to-term rule?

A rule that tells you how to get from one term to the next.
e.g. "multiply the previous term by $2$ then add $1$".

What is a position-to-term rule (the $n$th term rule)?

A rule that gives any term directly from its position number $n$.
e.g. $n$th term $= 4n + 3$.

How do you find a particular term from an $n$th term rule?

e.g. find the 9th term when the $n$th term is $4n + 3$

Substitute the position number for $n$.
$4 \times 9 + 3 = 39$.

True or false? In the $n$th term rule $4n + 3$, the letter $n$ stands for the value of the term.

False. $n$ stands for the position in the sequence (1st, 2nd, 3rd, …).

True or false? To generate a sequence from a term-to-term rule you must also be told the first term.

True. The same rule gives different sequences from different starting numbers.