A sequence can be start by the a2term?

  • Thread starter erogol
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In summary, the conversation discusses the definition of a sequence and whether or not the first term must be defined as a1 or if it can start with a different term, such as a2. It is argued that according to the definition of a sequence, the first term must be included, but the other person argues that it is still a valid sequence without the first term. The conversation also mentions the concept of a subsequence and how it relates to the main sequence.
  • #1
erogol
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Can i define a sequence which starts with a2. term or i must define the first term a1 as well
 
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  • #2
You can call the first term anything you want. It is merely a label.
 
  • #3
erogol said:
Can i define a sequence which starts with a2. term or i must define the first term a1 as well

A sequence of real Nos is a function ,from the natural Nos N to the real Nos R.

But a function from N TO R IS according to the definition of a function a subset of NxR ,such that for all nεN ,there exists a unique xεR ,SUCH that (n,x) BELONGS to the function.

So if you ignore the 1st member ,strictly speaking you go against the definition of the sequence
 
  • #4
poutsos.A said:
A sequence of real Nos is a function ,from the natural Nos N to the real Nos R.

But a function from N TO R IS according to the definition of a function a subset of NxR ,such that for all nεN ,there exists a unique xεR ,SUCH that (n,x) BELONGS to the function.

So if you ignore the 1st member ,strictly speaking you go against the definition of the sequence

Not really, [itex]\{a_n\}_{n=1}^\infty \backslash \{a_1\}[/itex] is still a sequence, just take the map [itex]n \mapsto a_{n+1}[/itex]. It is perfectly well defined.
 
  • #5
Focus said:
Not really, [itex]\{a_n\}_{n=1}^\infty \backslash \{a_1\}[/itex] is still a sequence, just take the map [itex]n \mapsto a_{n+1}[/itex]. It is perfectly well defined.

What you have written is a subsequence of the sequence {[tex]a_{n}[/tex]}.So if you start the sequence { [tex]a_{n}[/tex]} from the No 2 ,lets say , the subsequence will start from ,2 as well ,hence violating the definition of the sequence
 
  • #6
poutsos.A said:
What you have written is a subsequence of the sequence {[tex]a_{n}[/tex]}.So if you start the sequence { [tex]a_{n}[/tex]} from the No 2 ,lets say , the subsequence will start from ,2 as well ,hence violating the definition of the sequence

Did you even read my post? It fits your definition perfectly.
 
  • #7
Use the definition of the subsequence correctly
 

1. What is a sequence that can be started by the a2 term?

A sequence that can be started by the a2 term is a mathematical pattern in which each term is found by adding a constant number to the previous term. This constant number is called the common difference and is represented by the letter "d". The a2 term is the second term in the sequence, and it is used as the starting point for finding the rest of the terms.

2. How is the first term in the sequence determined when starting with the a2 term?

When starting with the a2 term, the first term in the sequence can be found by subtracting the common difference (d) from the a2 term. This will give you the a1 term, which is the first term in the sequence.

3. Can a sequence be started with any term?

Yes, a sequence can be started with any term. However, when starting with the a2 term, it is important to determine the common difference (d) in order to find the first term in the sequence. If the common difference is not known, it will be difficult to find the rest of the terms in the sequence.

4. How do you find the common difference when starting with the a2 term?

The common difference (d) can be found by subtracting the a1 term from the a2 term. This will give you the constant number that is added to each term in the sequence to find the next term. Alternatively, if the first few terms in the sequence are given, the common difference can be found by subtracting any two consecutive terms.

5. Can a sequence started by the a2 term have a negative common difference?

Yes, a sequence started by the a2 term can have a negative common difference. This means that each term in the sequence will decrease by a constant number as you move further along the sequence. It is important to pay attention to the sign of the common difference in order to correctly find the terms in the sequence.

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