Finding the Explicit Formula of a Geometric Sequence: Example 5

Topic

Sequences and Series

Description

Methodology for Finding the Explicit Formula

1. Identify the First Term: The first term of the sequence is denoted as a_1.
2. Determine the Common Ratio: The common ratio r is found by dividing the second term by the first term.
3. Write the Explicit Formula: The nth term of a geometric sequence can be found using the formula:

a_n = a₁•r^{(n - 1)}

       where a_n is the nth term, a₁ is the previous term, r is the common ratio, and n is the term number.

Given Sequence

Sequence: [2, 8, 32, 128, 512]

First term (a₁) = 2

Common ratio (r) = 8 / 2 = 4

Explicit formula: a_n = 2•4^{(n - 1)}

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