Solve Nth Term & Sum | Urgent Help Needed

In summary, The conversation is about two math problems. The first problem involves finding the nth term in a series and the second problem is to find the sum of an alternating sequence. The person asking for help is struggling with both problems and is seeking clarification and assistance. The expert summarizes the first problem by suggesting to express the terms as a product of powers of 2 and 3, and for the second problem, asks for clarification on the sum and provides a solution using parentheses. Eventually, the person asking for help figures out the nth term for the first problem and is still working on finding the sum for the second problem.
  • #1
wccrooks
3
0
Ok i have a few here that i have no idea what to do
b]1. Homework Statement [/b]

Find the nth term in the series
1/2, 1/3, 2/9, 4/27, 8/81, 16/243

also

[tex]\Sigma[/tex] (-1)^n-1/ 5n+1
find the sum
Urgent help neededdd ahha.. Thanks
 
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  • #2
For the first: Try to express the terms as a product of powers of 2 and 3. Biggest hint: 1/2=2^(-1)*3^0. For the second, could you clarify the sum?
 
  • #3
So the 1/2 is just clarifying an alternating series? I am completely lost on that problem. for the second i don't know what you mean either haha... all i know right now is it is an alternating problem... I have been trying to do these for like 3 hours to no success haha..



edit---
Well thanks for the first part i figured out the nth term. I am just super slow haha... The second problem however the only info i have oin it is its starts at n=1 the the (-1)^n-1/5n+1 then it asks me to find the sum I am pretty sure that all i have
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Like I said, clarify the sum. Use parentheses and such because I can't make any sense out of what you wrote.
 
  • #5


The sequence looks like 2^(n-1) * 3^n starting from 0
 
  • #6
ok starting at n=1 ((-1)^n-1)/(5n+1) so as far as i got is the (-1)^n-1 is pulled out as alternating leaving 1/(5n+1) and they want the sum of that
 

What is the Nth term in a sequence?

The Nth term in a sequence refers to the expression that allows you to find any term in the sequence by plugging in the term number (n). It is usually denoted as an.

How do you find the Nth term in a sequence?

To find the Nth term in a sequence, you need to look for a pattern or relationship between the terms. Once you identify the pattern, you can create an expression by substituting the term number (n) into the pattern. This expression will give you the Nth term in the sequence.

What is the sum of an arithmetic sequence?

The sum of an arithmetic sequence refers to the total value obtained by adding all the terms in the sequence. It is calculated using the formula Sn = n/2[2a + (n-1)d], where n is the number of terms, a is the first term, and d is the common difference between terms.

How do you find the sum of an arithmetic sequence?

To find the sum of an arithmetic sequence, you can use the formula Sn = n/2[2a + (n-1)d], where n is the number of terms, a is the first term, and d is the common difference between terms. Alternatively, you can also use the shortcut formula Sn = (n/2)(a + l), where n is the number of terms, a is the first term, and l is the last term.

What is the difference between an arithmetic and geometric sequence?

An arithmetic sequence is a sequence where each term is obtained by adding a constant value to the previous term. In contrast, a geometric sequence is a sequence where each term is obtained by multiplying a constant value to the previous term. In other words, the difference between terms in an arithmetic sequence is constant, while the ratio between terms in a geometric sequence is constant.

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