SOLUTION: I am given the first three and the last term for this sequence. I need to know the number of terms for this? 1-k, 1+k, 1+3k..., 1+19k

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Question 1167120: I am given the first three and the last term for this sequence. I need to know the number of terms for this?
1-k, 1+k, 1+3k..., 1+19k

Found 2 solutions by math_helper, ikleyn:
Answer by math_helper(2461)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!


1: 1-k
2: 1+k (2k was added to term 1)
3: 1+3k (2k was added to term 2)


Now looking at this, you can say the n'th term will be (1-k) + 2(n-1)k


As a check, look at term 3 above, we can plug in n=3: (1-k) + 2(3-1)k = (1-k) + 4k = 1+3k


Setting 1+19k = (1-k)+2(n-1)k and re-writing:
        1+19k = 1-3k+2nk   
          19k = -3k+2nk      << subtracted 1 from both sides
          19  = -3+2n        << divided both sides by k
          22  = 2n           << added 3 to both sides
          11  = n            << divided both sides by 2



n = 11, and n=1 is the first term, so there are 11 terms in the sequence.


Answer by ikleyn(52792)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Number of terms is the same, as the number of terms in the sequence


    -1, 1, 3, 5, . . . , 19.



Even if you know nothing about arithmetic progressions, and even if you are 2-nd grade student, 

you can solve this problem and answer this question by writing all the terms of the sequence in a row and counting them.



But if you are a bit more advanced thinker, you may figure out that the number of gaps between 1 an 19 is

      =  = 9;



Hence, the number of term in the sequence  1, 3, 5, . . . , 19  is  10;



Then joining the term  {-1},  you get that the number under the problem's question is  10 + 1 = 11.    ANSWER



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