REVIEW INNOVATIONS

mathematics session #3: A L G E B R A

ARITHMETIC PROGRESSION (A.P.)
A series of numbers is in AP if any number after the first is obtained by adding a fixed number to the
one immediately preceding it. The fixed number that is added is called the common difference, d.
Ex: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17
a1 = 1st term,
an = nth term,
Sn = sum of n terms
d = common difference,

If

then

an =a1 + ( n1 ) d
d=a2a 1=a3a2=a4a3=
n
n
S n= ( a1 +an ) = [ 2 a1 + ( n1 ) d ]
2
2
GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION (G.P.)
A series of numbers is in GP if any number after the first is obtained by multiplying a fixed number to
the one immediately preceding it. The fixed number that is multiplied is called the common ratio, r.
Ex: 2, 6, 18, 54
a1 = 1st term,
an = nth term,
Sn = sum of n terms
r = common ratio,

If

then

an =a1 r

n1

r=a2 /a1=a3 /a2=a4 /a 3=

a1 ( 1r n )
S n=
1r
INFINITE GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION (I.G.P.)
- a Geometric Progression in which

S n=

r <1 and n= .

a1
1r

HARMONIC PROGRESSION (H.P.)

- a series of numbers are in H.P. if their reciprocals form an A.P.
Ex: 1/2, 1/5, 1/8. 1/11

Sample Problems:
1. A drilling company agrees to drill a well at a cost of P100 for the 1 st foot, P150 for the 2nd foot, P200 for
the 3rd, and so on. Find the depth of the well which can be drilled for P257,500.

2. An rebel stronghold in Mindanao was surrounded and was under heavy gunfire by government troops.
There were 5700 rebels in the camp and their provisions will sustain them for only 66 days. If the rebels
suffer 20 casualties a day, for how long will the provisions hold out?
3. Determine x so that x + 9, 2x 6 and 4x + 33 will be a geometric progression.
4. The side of a square is 6 long. A second square is inscribed by joining the midpoints of the sides of the
1st square, then a third square is inscribed by joining the midpoints of the sides of the 2 nd square, and
so on, indefinitely. Find the sum of the areas of all the squares.
5. The arithmetic mean of two numbers is 10 & their geometric mean is 8. Find their harmonic mean.
6. The 3rd term of a harmonic progression is 15 and the 9th term is 6. Find the 11th term.
7. A rubber ball is dropped from a height of 9m and each time it strikes the ground, it bounces to a height
2/3 of that from which it falls. Find the total distance the ball will travel until it comes to rest.
8. Find the common ratio of an infinite geometric progression in which any term is thrice the sum of the
succeeding terms.
9. The 1st, 5th and the 8th terms of an AP are themselves in GP. Find the common ratio of the GP.