Pure Mathematics 1 - Sequences and Series

NOTE: The mark for this assessment will contribute towards your final mark for the course. You will be
deducted 10% for every day the work is late.

1. The sum of the first four terms of an arithmetic series is 48. The third term of the same series is 14.5. Find
(a) The first term of the series and the common difference. (4 marks)
(b) The sum of the first 50 terms of the series. (2 marks)

2. A geometric series has the third term equal to 64 and the sixth term equal to 8.

(a) Show that the common ratio of the series is 1/2. (2 marks)
(b) Find the first term of the series. (2 marks)
(c) Find the sum to infinity of the series. (2 marks)
(d) Find to 3 significant figures, the difference between the sum of the first 20 terms of the series and the
sum to infinity of the series. (1 mark)

3. (a) Find the sum of the integers which are divisible by 5 and lie between 1 and 500. (3 marks)
(b) Hence, or otherwise, find the sum of the integers from 1 to 500 inclusive, which are not divisible by
5. (3 marks)

4. By the end of a year, the value of a shop has increased by 4% of its value at the start of the year. At the
start of 2010 the shop was valued at £50,000. Estimate, to the nearest £100, the value of the shop at the
end of the year

(a) 2040 (2 marks)

(b) 3000 (2 marks)

5. A countries population at the end of each year is 5% greater than at the beginning of the year. Find the
number of years required for the population to triple. (3 marks)

6. The sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic series is Sn . S20 = 45 and S40 = -290. Find the first term and
the common difference of the series. Find also the sum of the first 70 terms. (4 marks)