Number Sequences

Seite 1

Number Sequences

August 18th 2014

Book 1, Chapter 6

We know that the numbers which come after 10 are 11, 12, 13, 14 and so on. We are able to continue writing down the numbers because each successive number follows the preceding one according to a specific rule. We say that the natural numbers form a number sequence. The numbers in a sequence are the terms of the sequence.

For the sequence of natural numbers, the rule is: start with 1, then add 1 to each term to get the next term.

Here are other examples of number sequences:

(a) Sequence of even numbers

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 ...

Rule: Start with 2,then add 2 to each term to get the next term or multiply each term of the sequence.

1, 2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 ... by 2.

(b) Sequence of odd numbers

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, ...

Rule: Start with 1, then add 2 to each term to get the next term or subtract 1 from each term of the sequence

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, ...

(c) Sequence of powers 2

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32

Rule: Start with 1, then multiply each term by 2 to get the next term.

(d) Sequence of Squares

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