Arithmetic Progression: Finding the First Term and Common Difference

In summary, you are trying to find the first term of an arithmetic progression, and you need to solve for a.
  • #1
Crystalong876
1
0
The sum of the first 100 terms of an arithmetic progression is 15050; the first, third and eleventh terms of this progression are three consecutive terms of a geometric progression. Find the first term, a and the non-zero common difference, d, of the arithmetic progression.
 
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  • #2
Hello and welcome to MHB, Crystalong876! :D

There are several issues of which I need to make you aware:

  • Show the nature of your question in your thread title. The title of a post should be a brief and accurate description of what your question is about. Since we assume everyone needs help, usually urgently, titles such as ‘Urgent help needed’ etc. are pointless, annoying, ineffective and lazy. You should also avoid using symbols such as ? and ! excessively in a post title for reasons already given. An effectively titled post will get more views than one with a useless title. The thread title should be at least one level more specific than the forum in which you post. For example, do not title a thread in Calculus "Calculus Problem", but "Differentiation of a Function" or "Force on a Tank".
  • Show some effort. If you want help with a question we expect you to show some effort. Effort might include showing your work, learning how to typeset equations using LATEX, making your question clearer, titling threads effectively and posting in the appropriate subforum, making a genuine attempt to understand the given help before asking for more help, and learning from previously asked questions. Moderators reserve the right to close threads in cases where the member is not making a genuine effort (particularly if the member is flooding the forums with multiple questions of the same type). You also should remember that all contributors to MHB are unpaid volunteers and are under no obligation to answer a question.
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So, given these rules and policies at MHB (the complete list can be found http://mathhelpboards.com/rules/), I have moved your first thread here, given it a useful title and then deleted the 3 duplicate threads. Whew! (Sweating)

With that done, can you post what you have tried so far so our helpers know where you are stuck and can best guide you?
 
  • #3
Crystalong876 said:
The sum of the first 100 terms of an arithmetic progression is 15050; the first, third and eleventh terms of this progression are three consecutive terms of a geometric progression. Find the first term, a and the non-zero common difference, d, of the arithmetic progression.
Are you able to solve this equation for a:

am = a + 2d

a = ?

If not, you'll need classroom help to solve your problem...
 

FAQ: Arithmetic Progression: Finding the First Term and Common Difference

What is an arithmetic progression?

An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers in which the difference between consecutive terms is constant. This constant difference is called the common difference.

How do you find the first term of an arithmetic progression?

The first term of an arithmetic progression can be found by using the formula a1 = an - (n-1)d, where a1 is the first term, an is the nth term, and d is the common difference.

What is the formula for finding the common difference of an arithmetic progression?

The formula for finding the common difference of an arithmetic progression is d = (an - a1)/(n-1), where d is the common difference, an is the nth term, and a1 is the first term.

Can the common difference of an arithmetic progression be negative?

Yes, the common difference of an arithmetic progression can be negative. This indicates that the sequence is decreasing.

What is the difference between an arithmetic progression and a geometric progression?

An arithmetic progression has a constant difference between consecutive terms, while a geometric progression has a constant ratio between consecutive terms. In other words, in an arithmetic progression, each term is obtained by adding a fixed number to the previous term, while in a geometric progression, each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a fixed number.

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