SOLUTION: The 5th term in a sequence is 25, and each term is 3 less than the previous term. Write an explicit rule and a recursive rule to describe the sequence.

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Question 1102476: The 5th term in a sequence is 25, and each term is 3 less than the previous term. Write an explicit rule and a recursive rule to describe the sequence.
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
WITHOUT MEMORIZED FORMULAS:
a%5Bn%5D=a%5Bn-1%5D-3 or highlight%28a%5Bn%2B1%5D=a%5Bn%5D-3%29
would be the recursive rule spelled out in
"each term is 3 less than the previous term."
Then n-5 terms after the 5th term, we would have
subtracted from 25 n-5 times 3, so
a%5Bn%5D=25-3%28n-5%29 , which simplifies to
a%5Bn%5D=25-3n-5 and to the simplest explicit rule
a%5Bn%5D=20-3n .

Your teacher may have in mind a lot of formula memorizing and writing, like
d=-3= common difference.
a%5Bn%2B1%5D=a%5Bn%5D%2Bd is the memorizable recursive rule formula for any arithmetic sequence,
so in this case a%5Bn%2B1%5D=a%5Bn%5D%2B%28-3%29 ,
or highlight%28a%5Bn%2B1%5D=a%5Bn%5D-3%29 .
For all arithmetic sequences,
a%5Bn%5D=a%5B1%5D%2B%28n-1%29d is the memorizable explicit rule for any arithmetic sequence.
For n=5 , with a%5B5%5D=25 and d=-3, we can find a%5B1%5D :
a%5B5%5D=a%5B1%5D%2B%285-1%29%28-3%29
25=a%5B1%5D%2B4%28-3%29
25=a%5B1%5D-12
25%2B12=a%5B1%5D
a%5B1%5D=37 .
Plugging a%5B1%5D=37+and+%7B%7B%7Bd=-3
into the memorized a%5Bn%5D=a%5B1%5D%2B%28n-1%29d , we get explicit rule
highlight%28a%5Bn%5D=37-3%28n-1%29%29 ,
not that simple, but maybe the expected answer.