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microman microman
wrote...
Posts: 34
Rep: 1 0
11 years ago
Please help. If the first term in an arithmetic series is 3, the last term is 136, and the sum is 1390, what are the first three terms?
What is the best formula to solve this problem? Thank you.
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wrote...
11 years ago
Start with Sn = n*(A1+An)/2, to solve for n.

Then use the definition of An = A1 + (n-1)d, to solve for d.

Then you already know A1, and A2=A1+d, and A3=A2+d
wrote...
11 years ago
Sum = n (first + last) / 2, where n = number of terms

n (3 + 136) / 2 = 1390
n 139/2 = 1390
n = 1390 * 2 / 139
n = 20

1st term = 3
2nd term = 3 + d
3rd term = 3 + 2d
nth term = 3 + (n-1)d

20th term = 3 + 19d = 136
19d = 133
d = 7

First three terms: 3, 3+7, 3+2*7 -----> 3, 10, 17
wrote...
11 years ago
a=3,  f(n)=an=136  Sn=1390,   An=a+(n-1)d,  Sn=n/2[2a+(n-1)d]

136=3+(n-1)d,      1390=n/2[6+(n-1)d]
133=(n-1)d,          1390=n/2[6+133]
                           1390=n/2*139
                           20=n                133=(20-1)d,   133==19d, d=7
   
a, a+d,a+2d   3,10,17
wrote...
11 years ago
Neutral Face?
First, we need to know the number of terms, n
using the formula for the sum of an arithmetic series;
S_n = ( n / 2 ) ( a_1 + a_n )

1390 = ( n / 2 ) ( 3 + 136 )
.........= ( n / 2 ) ( 139 )
.......................divide both sides of the equation by 139;
1390 / 139 =  ( n / 2 ) ( 139 ) / 139
10 = n / 2
.......................multip ly both sides of the equation by 2
10 ? 2 = ( n / 2 ) ? 2
20 = n
...or...
n = 20

then, we have to compute for the difference, d.
a_n = a + ( n - 1 ) d

d = ( a_n - a ) / ( n - 1 )
...= ( 136 - 3 ) / ( 20 - 1 )
...= 133 / 19
...= 7


the formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence is
a_n = a + ( n - 1 ) d

a_2 = 3 + ( 2 - 1 ) ( 7 )
.......= 3 + ( 1 ) ( 7 )
.......= 3 + 7
.......= 10
Neutral FaceNeutral Face??

a_3 = 3 + ( 3 - 1 ) ( 7 )
.......= 3 + ( 2 ) ( 7 )
.......= 3 + 14
.......= 17
Neutral FaceNeutral Face??


first three terms are 3, 10, 17
Neutral FaceNeutral FaceNeutral FaceNeutral FaceNeutral FaceNeutral Face??
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