Homework Help: Math (pre-calculus)

Posted by Angellove on Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 12:57pm.

Hi! I have a question! I forgot how to do these two problems, and I need some help in solving them! Thanks so much!

1.) Find the first 5 terms of the sequence given by a1=2, an=3an-1 -1.

(It's: a sub 1 =2, a sub n= 3a sub n-1 -1)
Does that make sense?

If not, that's ok. I'll to clarify more if it's still strange (which it is, I know!)

Math (pre-calculus) - drwls, Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 1:26pm
asub1 = 2 is the first term

asubn can be calculated fron asubn-1, using the formula you prodided
asubn = 3 asubn-1 -1

Thus a sub2 = 3 asub1 - 1 = 5
asub3 = 3 asub2 -1 = 14
asub4 = 3 asub3 -1 = 41
asub5 = ?
- Math (pre-calculus) - Angellove, Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 1:34pm
  Okay!! I think I got it!!! Thank you so much! I'm gonna solve the 5 terms, and write them up here! :) Tell me how I did!
- Math (pre-calculus) - Angellove, Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 1:37pm
  Okay:
  
  a sub1=2
  a sub2= 3(2)-1=5
  a sub3= 3(5)-1=14
  a sub4= 3(14)-1=41
  a sub5= 3(41)-1=122
  
  I think that's it! Thanks so much again!
Math (pre-calculus) - drwls, Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 2:13pm
Looks good to me!

It's interestng that the differences between adjacent terms are powers of 3:
3,9,27,81 etc

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