Given the Recursive Formula:
a1 = −8
a6 = an +5
What is the initial term?
The initial term, a1, is -8.
The initial term, or the first term, of the sequence is a1 = -8.
To find the initial term (a1), we need to determine the value of a1 using the given recursive formula.
According to the recursive formula, a6 = an + 5.
Let's substitute the values given in the formula:
a6 = a1 + 5.
Since a6 is given in the problem, we can replace it with its value. From the given information, a6 = -8.
So the equation becomes:
-8 = a1 + 5.
To solve for a1, we need to isolate it on one side of the equation:
a1 = -8 - 5.
a1 = -13.
Therefore, the initial term (a1) is -13.