Unit 1 - MMW
Unit 1 - MMW
Unit 1 - MMW
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Math in our
World
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Terms of a Sequence
An ordered list of numbers such as 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, ...
is called a sequence. The numbers in a sequence that are
separated by commas are the terms of the sequence.
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Terms of a Sequence
The following table is a difference table for the sequence
5, 14, 27, 44, 65, ...
In this table, the first differences are not all the same. In
such a situation it is often helpful to compute the successive
differences of the first differences. These are shown in row
(2).
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Terms of a Sequence
These differences of the first differences are called the
second differences.
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Example 1 – Predict the Next Term of a Sequence
Solution:
Construct a difference table as shown below.
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Example 1 – Solution cont’d
The third differences, shown in blue in row (3), are all the
same constant, 6. Extending row (3) so that it includes an
additional 6 enables us to predict that the next second
difference will be 36.
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nth-Term Formula for a Sequence
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nth-Term Formula for a Sequence
In Example 1 we used a difference table to predict the next
term of a sequence.
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Example 2 – Find an nth-Term Formula
Assume the pattern shown by the square tiles in the
following figures continues.
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Example 2 – Solution
a. Examine the figures for patterns.
Note that the second figure has two tiles on each of the
horizontal sections and one tile between the horizontal
sections.
The third figure has three tiles on each horizontal
section and two tiles between the horizontal sections.
The fourth figure has four tiles on each horizontal
section and three tiles between the horizontal sections. 14
Example 2 – Solution cont’d
an = 3n – 1
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Example 2 – Solution cont’d
3n – 1 = 320
3n = 321 Add 1 to each side.
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The Fibonacci Sequence
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The Fibonacci Sequence
Here is a statement of Fibonacci’s rabbit problem.
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The Fibonacci Sequence
The solution of this problem is a sequence of numbers that
we now call the Fibonacci sequence.
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The Fibonacci Sequence
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The Fibonacci Sequence
Fibonacci discovered that the number of pairs of rabbits for
any month after the first two months can be determined by
adding the numbers of pairs of rabbits in each of the two
previous months.
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The Fibonacci Sequence
If we use the mathematical notation Fn to represent the nth
Fibonacci number, then the numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence are given by the following recursive definition.
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Example 3 – Find a Fibonacci Number
Use the definition of Fibonacci numbers to find the seventh
and eighth Fibonacci numbers.
Solution:
The first six Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8. The
seventh Fibonacci number is the sum of the two previous
Fibonacci numbers.
Thus,
F7 = F6 + F5
=8+5
= 13 23
Example 3 – Solution cont’d
F8 = F7 + F6
= 13 + 8
= 21
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