(Effective Alternative Secondary Education)

MATHEMATICS II
Y

MODULE 3
Searching for Patterns in
Sequences, Arithmetic, Geometric and
Others

BUREAU OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Department of Education
DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue
Pasig City

Module 3
 Searching for Patterns in Sequences, Arithmetic ,
Geometric and others

What this module is about

This module is about finding the sum of the n terms of an arithmetic sequence.
As you go over the exercises, you will develop skills in deriving formula for the
arithmetic series , sum of the n terms of an arithmetic sequence and Fibonacci series.
You will gain skills in solving problems involving arithmetic series, sum of arithmetic
sequences, harmonic and Fibonacci series. You will also recall some concepts on
finding the common difference and the n th term of an arithmetic sequence. Treat the
lessons with fun and take time to go back and review if you think you are at a loss.

What you are expected to learn

This module is designed for you to:

1. Recall finding the common difference and nth term of an arithmetic sequence
2. Derive the formula for the arithmetic series
3. Solve problems involving arithmetic series, sum of arithmetic sequences and
Fibonacci series

How much do you know

1. Give the first four terms of the arithmetic sequence for which the first term is
8 and the common difference is 5?

a. 8, 15, 18, 25 c. 8, 12, 16, 20

b. 8, 13, 19, 24 d. 8, 13, 18, 23

2. Give the arithmetic sequence whose 7th term is 49 and whose 12th
term is 84?

a. 5, 10, 15, 20, … c. 7, 14, 21, 28, …

b. 6, 12, 18, 24, … d. 8, 16, 24, 32, …

2
3. Find the sum of the first twenty terms in arithmetic sequence 0,1, 2, 3, …

a. 190 c. 170
b. 180 d. 160

4. Find the sum of the first five positive even numbers.

5. Find the sum of all the odd integers from 100 to 200, inclusive.

a. 7,000 c. 8,000
b. 7,500 d. 8,500

6. How many terms are there in #5

7. How many numbers between 150 and 250 are exactly divisible by 12?

a. 10 c. 7
b. 8 d. 6

8. Find their sum.

9. Find the sum of the five terms of the harmonic sequence 1, _1_, _1_, _1_, …
6 11 16

10. Six student players are participating in a chess game. If each of them plays
once with each of the others, how many games will be played in all?

3
 What you will do

Lesson 1

Recalling Arithmetic Sequence

A sequence where each succeeding term is obtained by adding a fixed

number is called an arithmetic sequence. This fixed number is the
common difference d between any two succeeding terms.

Any arithmetic sequence is defined by the equation given as

tn = t1 + (n –1)d

Try this out

A. Find the first three terms of the sequence defined by each equation.
1. tn = 2n – 7
2. tn = (-4)n
3. tn n + 6
4
4. tn = n(n + 12)
5. tn = 4n(n)

B. Find the seventh term in each sequence.

1. 8, 15, 22, 29, …
2. 100, 200, 300, …
3. -7, -2, 3 , …
4. 25, 75, 125, 175, …
5. 87, 97, 107, 117, …
6. 19, 17, 15, 13 …
7. -8, -3, 2, 7, …
8. 90, 98, 106, 114, …
9. 75, 65, 55, 45, …
10. 21, 14, 7, 0, …

Lesson 2

Deriving the Formula of Arithmetic Series

Eight basketball teams are participating in summer sportsfest. If each of the

team plays once with each of the others, how many games will be played in all?

4
 Let’s simplify the problem by breaking it down into smaller problems. Start with one
team, then with two teams, then with three teams, and so on. Each time, determine the
number of games added to the previous number of games when there is one team less.
Also, determine each time the total number of games played for a given number of
teams. From these data we could be able to get the total number of games played
given any number of teams.

Let’s make a diagram to illustrate the problem.

Let Tn denote the team, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Let an arc joining two teams denote a game played between these team.

T1 T2 T1 T2 T3 T1 T2 T3 T4

1 game 2 games 3 games

1 game added 2 games added 3 games added

Summarize your observation using a table.

Number of Teams Number of Additional Total Number of Games

Games
1 0 0
2 1 0+1=1
3 2 0+1+2=3
4 3 0+1+2+3=6
5 4 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
6 5 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15
7 6 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21
8 7 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28

Observe that the 2nd column of a number form an arithmetic sequence.

If there are eight teams, then the total number of games played will be equal to
the sum of the first eight terms of arithmetic sequence
0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28

Naming the sum of the first n terms of the sequence by Sn,

Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . + (n – 1)

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The indicated sum 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . + (n – 1) is an arithmetic series Sn .

We can express the sum of the eight games as

S n = t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + t5 + t6 + t7 + t8

The total number of games played by eight teams will be

Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28

For smaller number n and with the aid of a calculator, computing S n will not be a
problem. For 20 teams of big basketball league, however, we need to look for a more
efficient way.

Sn = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + . . . + (n – 4) + (n – 3) + (n – 2) + (n – 1) Equation 1
Sn = (n – 1) + (n – 2) + (n – 3) + (n – 4)+ … + 3 + 2 + 1 + 0 Equation 2, the
reversed order of Equation 1

Adding Equation 1 and 2 gives

2Sn = [0 + (n – 1)] + [1 + (n – 2)] + [2 + (n – 3)] + [3 + (n – 4)] + … + [(n – 4) + 3] +

[(n – 3) + 2] + [(n – 2) + 1] + [(n – 1) + 0]

2Sn = (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + … + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1) + (n – 1)

Note that (n – 1) is taken as addend n times

2Sn = n(n – 1)
Sn n(n – 1)
2

For 20 teams, the total number of games played will be

Sn 20(20 – 1) 10(19) = 190 games

2

Arithmetic series is an indicated sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic

sequence. The sum of n terms is denoted by Sn.

The formula in finding arithmetic series is

Sn n(n – 1)
2

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 Lesson 3

Solving Problems Involving Arithmetic Series and

Sum of Arithmetic Sequence

Gauss, Carl Friedrich (1777-1855), a German mathematician, is noted for his wide-
ranging contributions to the field of mathematics and physics, particularly the study of
electromagnetism.

Do you know that this formula is the trick he used, as a schoolboy, to solve the
problem of summing up the integers from 1 to 100 given as busy-work by his teacher?
While his classmates toiled away doing the addition longhand, Gauss wrote a single
number, the correct answer

Usually problems present themselves in either of two ways. Either the first number in
the sequence and the number of terms are known or the first number and the last
number of the sequence are known.

Examples:

1. Find the sum of the first 30 terms of the arithmetic sequence -15, -13, -11,…

Since t1 = -15, d = 2, and n = 30 then we can use the formula S n n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}
2
S30 _30_ {-15 + [ -15 + 2(30 – 1)]}
2
= 15 [ -30 + 2(29) ]
= 15 [ -30 + 58 ] = 15 (28)

S30 = 420

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2. Find the sum of the first 50 terms of arithmetic sequence 26, 31, 36, 41, …

We have t1 = 26, d = 5, and n = 50 so we can use the formula Sn n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}
2
S50 _50_ {26 + [ 26 + 5(50 – 1)]}
2
= 25 [ 52 + 5(49) ]
= 25 [ 52 + 245 ] = 25 (297)

S50 = 7,425

We can also use the formula Sn n (t1 + tn) if we have tn.

2

t50 = 26 + (50 -1)5 = 26 + (49)(5)

t50 = 271

S50 _50_ ( 26 + 271) = 25(297) = 7,425

2
3. Find the sum of the first 42 terms of arithmetic sequence 5, 8, 11, 14,17, ... ,231

t1 = 5 and t42 = 231

S42 _42_ ( 5 + 231) = 21(236) = 4,956

2

4. What is the sum of all positive integers less than 300 that are multiples of 7?

The multiples of 7 form an arithmetic sequence such that the first term is 7, and
d = 7. To get the sum, lets first find the number of multiples of 7 that are less than 300.

300 is not a multiple of 7. Try 299 ÷ 7 = 42.71, 299 is not a multiple of 7. Try
another number

297 ÷ 7 = 42.43 … until you reach 294 ÷ 7 = 42

So, 294 = tn

294 = 7 + (n – 1)7

n = 42

8
Therefore, S42_42_ (7 + 294) = 21 (301) = 6,321
2
Another solution to get S42 is as follows:

Although guess and check is one of the strategies in solving mathematics

problems, you can have easier way of solving for the largest multiple of 7 less than 300.

The largest multiple of 7 less than 200 is tn . Write tn< 300. Then

tn = 7 + (n – 1)7

7 + (n – 1)7 < 300

7 + 7n – 7 < 300

7n < 300

n < 42.85

Since n is an integer, n = 42. Therefore there are 42 positive integers that are
less than 300 which are multiples of 7. The largest of these multiples is t 42 and

t42 = 7 + (42 – 1)7 = 7 + (41)7 = 7 + 287 = 294

The series formed is 7, 14, 21, 28, … 294 and the sum is

7+14 + 21+ 28 + … + 294

Using the formula, we have

S42 _42_ (7 + 294) = 21 (301) = 6,321

2

5. A military unit purchases 10 spare parts during the first month of a contract,
15 spare parts in the second month, 20 spare parts in the third month, 25 spare parts in
the fourth month, and so on. The acquisition officer wants to know the total number of
spare parts the unit will have acquired after 50 months.

Note that the sequence is 10, 15, 20, 25,…

Since the given are d = 5, t1 = 10 and n = 50, use the formula

Sn n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}

2

S50 50 [ 10 + 10 + 5(50 – 1)] = 25 [ 20 + 5(49)] = 25 (265) = 6,625

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 2

After 50 months the military unit will acquire 6,625 spare parts

Try this out

A. Find the sum of the terms in the arithmetic sequence for the number of terms
indicated.
1. 4 + 1 + -2 + -5 + … 40 terms
2. 6 +12 +18 +24 + … 15 terms
3. 10 + 7 + 4 + 1 + … 35 terms
4. 13 + 12 +11 + … 50 terms
5. 2 + 9 +16 + 23+ … 25 terms

B. Find the term asked by using the given values.

1. tn = 45, t1 = 27, d = 9, n = ____

2. tn = 79, t1 = 7, d = 3, Sn = ____

3. t1 _-3_, d _3_, n = 8, S8 = ____

4 4

4. d = -5, t7 = -11, n = 27, Sn = ____

5. t10 = 88, t1 = -8, S10 = ____

B. Solve the following problems.

1. Find the sum of the first 150 counting numbers.

2. Find the sum of the first 50 odd natural numbers.
3. Find the sum of all the even integers from 12 to 864, inclusive.
4. Find the sum of all the odd integers from 27 to 495, inclusive.
5. How many numbers between 10 and 200 are exactly divisible by 7? Find their
sum.
6. How many numbers between 25 and 400 are exactly divisible by 11? Find their
sum.
7. Find the sum of all positive integers between 29 and 210 that are divisible by 4?
8. If a clock strikes the appropriate number of times on each hour, how many times
will it strike in one day? In one week?

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 9. A group of hikers has a trek of 6 days to reach Mt. Apo. They traveled 15 km on
the 1st day, 13 km on the 2nd day, 11 on the 3rd day, and so on. How many
kilometers did they travel to reach Mt. Apo?

10. Luis applied for scholarship and was given battery of test. He made a score of
68 on his first test. The passing average score is 75. Would he make it after four
test if he did 6 points better on each succeeding test? What was his score on the
fourth test? What was his average score after four tests?

Lesson 4

Fibonacci Series

Let’s recall Fibonacci sequence using this problem.

Imagine a pair of a male and female rabbits whiich produces a

new pair at the age of two months and every month thereafter.
Each new pair, in turn, produces a pair at the same rate.

How many pairs of rabbits are there in 8 months?

Use drawings and tables to analyze this problem. Consider the rabbit population
at the beginning of 6 months. How many rabbits in all after 6 months? After 8 months?

Beginning of Growth in pairs of rabbits

month

11
 6

Summarize the result using a table

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rabbit 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21
Pairs (1+1) (1+2) (2+3) (3+5) (5+8) (8+13)

Recall that in a Fibonnaci Sequence the numbers are arranged as 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,

13, … where the first term is 1.

Generalizing the relationship among the terms of any Fibonacci sequence leads
to a formula for the Fibonacci series.

The sum of the first n terms of a Fibonacci sequence is called a Fibonacci

series

t1 = t3 – t2 1= 2–1
t 2 = t 4 – t3 1= 3–2
t3= t5 – t4 2= 5–3



t n – 1 = t n + 1 – tn
tn = t n + 2 – tn + 1

Then, t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + … + tn – 1 + tn = - t2 + tn + 2

From the above equation, it can be deduced that the Fibonacci series t 1 + t2 + t3 + t4 +
… + tn with sum Sn can be written as Sn = - t2 + tn + 2

In the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55…, find the sum of the
first three terms using the formula.

In the example, with t2 = 1, S3 = -1 + (3 + 2) = -1 + 5 = 4

How about the sum of the first 5 terms?

S5 = -1 + t5 + 2 = -1 + t7 = -1 + 13 = 12

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Let’s verify 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 12

Let’s go back to the problem and answer.

How many rabbits in all after 6 months? After 8 months?

S6 = -1 + t6 + 2 = -1 + t8 = -1 + 21 = 20

S8 = -1 + t8 + 2 = -1 + t10 = -1 + 55 = 54

Try this out

Consider the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55…

1. Find the sum of the first 10 terms.

2. Find the sum of the first 12 terms.
3. Find the sum of the first 14 terms.

Let’s Summarize

Arithmetic sequence is a sequence where each succeeding term is obtained by

adding a fixed number.

Common difference is the fixed number between any two succeeding terms.

Any arithmetic sequence is defined by the equation given as

tn = t1 + (n –1)d

Arithmetic series is an indicated sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence.

The sum of n terms is denoted by Sn.

The formula in finding arithmetic series is Sn n(n – 1)

2
The formula in finding the sum of terms in an arithmetic sequence

Sn n [t1 + d(n – 1)] or Sn = n {t1 + [t1 + d(n – 1)]}

2
and Sn n (t1 + tn )
2

The sum of the first n terms of a Fibonacci sequence is called a Fibonacci series

13
Sn = - t 2 + t n + 2

14
 What have you learned

1. Find the sum of the first thirty terms in arithmetic sequence 0,1, 2, 3, …

a. 425 c. 435
b. 430 d. 440

2. Find the sum of the first ten positive odd numbers.

3. Find the sum of all the even integers from 150 to 300, inclusive.

a. 17,000 c. 18,000
b. 17,100 d. 18,100

4. How many terms are there in #3?

5. How many numbers between 200 and 400 are exactly divisible by 15?

a. 10 c. 12
b. 11 d. 13

6. Find the sum of the numbers in #5.

7. Find the sum of the five terms of the harmonic sequence 1, _1_, _1_, _1_, …
8 15 22

8. What type of sequence is _1_, _1_, 1 , _3_, _5_, …? Fibonacci or harmonic?

2 2 2 2

9. Find the 8th term of # 8.

10. Find the sum of the first 8th terms of #8.

15
 Key to correction

How much do you know

1. d 6. 50
2. c 7. b
3. a 8. 1,584
4. 30 9. 1685
1232
5. b 10. 15
Try this out

Lesson 1
A.
1. tn = 2n – 7
t1 = 2(1) – 7 = -5; t2 = 2(2) – 7 = -3 ; t3 = 2(3) – 7 = -1
-5, -3, -1

2. tn = (-4)n
t1 = (-4)1 = -4 ; t2 = (-4)2 =16; t3 = (-4)3 = -64
-4, 16, -64

3. tn n+6
4
_7_ , _8_ or 2, _9_
4 4 4

4. tn = n(n + 12)
13, 28, 45

5. tn = 4n(n)
4, 16, 36

B. Find the seventh terms in each sequence.

1. By listing we have 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, 43, 50
By formula we have t7 = 8 + (7 – 1) 7 = 8 + 42 = 50

2. 100, 200, 300, …

t7 = 100 + (7 – 1) 100 = 700

3. -7, -2, 3 , …
t7 = -7 + (7 – 1) 5 = 23

16
 4. 25, 75, 125, 175, …
t7 = 25 + (7 – 1) 50 = 325

5. 87, 97, 107, 117, …

t7 = 87 + (7 – 1) 10 = 147

6. 19, 17, 15, 13 …

t7 = 19 + (7 – 1) (-2) = 7

7. -8, -3, 2, 7, …
t7 = -8 + (7 – 1) 5 = 22

8. 90, 98, 106, 114, …

t7 = 90 + (7 – 1) 8 = 138

9. 75, 65, 55, 45, …

t7 = 75 + (7 – 1)(-10) = 15

10. 21, 14, 7, 0, …

t7 = 21 + (7 – 1)(-7) = -21

Lesson 3
A.
1. d = -3, t1 = 4, n = 40
t40 = 4 + (40 – 1)(-3) = -113
S40 = 20[4 +(-113)] = -2,180

2. d = 6, t1 = 6, n = 15
t15 = 6 + (15 – 1)6 = 90
S15 = 7.5 (6 + 90) = 720

3. d = 3, t1 = 10, n = 35
t35 = 10 + (35 – 1)(-3) = -92
S35 = 17.5 [10 + (-92)] = -1,435

4. d = -1, t1 = 13, n = 50
t50 = 13 + (50 – 1)(-1) = -36
S50 = 25 [13 + (-36)] = -575

5. d = 7, t1 = 2, n = 25
t25 = 2 + (25 – 1)(7) = 170
S25 = 12.5 (2 + 170) = 2,150

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B.
1. 45 = 27 + (n – 1)9
45 = 27 + 9n – 9
n=3

2. 79 = 7 + (n – 1)3
79 = 7 + 3n – 3
n = 25
Sn = 12.5(7 + 79) = 1,075

3. t8 _-3_ + (8 – 1)_3_ -3 + 21 18 or _9_

4 4 4 4 2

Sn 4 ( _-3_ + _18_) = 4( _15_ ) = 15

4 4 4

4. t7 = t1 + (7 – 1)(-5)
-11 = t1 + (7 – 1)(-5)
t1= 19

t27 = 19 + (27 – 1)(-5) = -111

S27= 13.5 [ 19 + (-111)] = -1,242

5. S10= 5 ( -8 + 88) = 400

C.
1. d = 1, t1 = 1, n = 150
t150 = 1 + (150 – 1)(1) = 150

S150 = 75 (1 + 150) = 11,325

2. d = 2, t1 = 1, n = 50
t50 = 1 + (50 – 1)(2) = 99

S150 = 25 (1 + 99) = 2,500

3. t1 = 12, tn = 864, d = 2
864 = 12 + (n – 1)(2) = 427

S427 = 213.5 (12 + 864) = 187,026

4. t1 = 27, tn = 495, d = 2
495=27 + (n – 1)(2) = 235

S235 = 117.5 (27 + 495) = 61,335

18
 5. t1 = 14, tn = 196, d = 7
196 = 14+ (n – 1)(7) = 27or
find n by 200 ÷ 7 = 28, then subtract 1 (since 7 is not included in the sequence,
the first positive number divisible by 7) n = 28 – 1 = 27

S27 = 13.5 (14 + 196) = 2,835

6. t1 = 33, tn = 396, d = 11
396 = 33 + (n – 1)(11) = 34 or
find n by 400 ÷ 11 = 36.36, then subtract 2 (since 117 and 22 are not included in
the sequence) n =36 – 2 = 34

S34 = 17 (33 + 396) = 7,293

7. t1 = 32, tn = 208, d = 4
208 = 32 + (n – 1)(4) = 45 or
find n by 210 ÷ 4 = 52.5, then subtract 7 (since 4, 8, 12, …28 are not included in
the sequence) n = 52 – 7 = 45

S45 = 22.5 (32 + 208) = 5,400

8. The clock strikes 1, 2, 3, … 12 for 12 hours, then repeat for the next 12 hours to
complete one day.

S12 = 6 (1 + 12) = 78 strikes in 12 hours

78 x 2 = 156 strikes in one day
156 x 7 = 1,092 strikes in one week

9. t1 = 15, n = 6, d = -2
t6 = 15 + (6 – 1)(-2) = 5
S6 = 3 (15 + 5) = 3(20) = 60 kilometers

10. t4 = 68 + (4 – 1)(6) = 86
S4 = 2 (68 + 86) = 2(154) = 308 sum of all the scores
308 ÷ 4 = 77 average score

Luis passed the battery of test

Lesson 4

Consider the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610,
987…

1. Find the sum of the first 10 terms.

S10 = - 1 + t10 + 2 = -1 + t12 = -1 + 144 = 143

19
 2. Find the sum of the first 12 terms.
S12 = - 1 + t12 + 2 = -1 + t14 = -1 + 377 = 376

3. Find the sum of the first 14 terms.

S14 = - 1 + t14 + 2 = -1 + t16 = -1 + 987 = 986

What have you learned

1. c
2. 100
3. b
4. 76
5. d
6. 3,900
7. 1.27
8. Fibonacci
9. 21
2
10. 27

20