ARITHMETIC AND GEOMETRIC SERIES

Learning Objectives
1. derive the formula for the sum of an arithmetic or a
geometric series
2. calculate sums of arithmetic and geometric series
 Sequences

• Arithmetic sequence

Geometric sequence
 Sum of an Arithmetic Series
• If form an arithmetic sequence with common
difference d, then the sum Sn of these n terms is given
by the following:
•
Evaluate the following sum: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + … + 99

99 = an = a1 + (n – 1)d = 1 + (n – 1)2 = 2n – 1
n = = 50
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + … + 99 =
= 2500
 Sum of a Geometric Series
•If form a geometric sequence with common ratio r ≠
1, then the sum Sn of these n terms is given by the
following:
•
Evaluate the following sum: 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 512

512 = an = = 1 ∙ =
512 = , we have n = 10
1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 512 =
= 1023