Chapter 19: Problem 3
A sequence is defined by $$ x[k]=\frac{k^{2}}{2}+k, \quad k=0,1,2,3, \ldots $$ State the first five terms.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The first five terms are 0, \(\frac{3}{2}\), 4, \(\frac{15}{2}\), 12.
Step by step solution
01
Understand the sequence formula
The sequence is defined by the expression \(x[k] = \frac{k^2}{2} + k\), where \(k\) is a non-negative integer (0, 1, 2, 3, ...). Our task is to find the first five terms.
02
Calculate the term for \(k = 0\)
Substitute \(k = 0\) into the formula:\[ x[0] = \frac{0^2}{2} + 0 = 0. \] So, the first term is 0.
03
Calculate the term for \(k = 1\)
Substitute \(k = 1\) into the formula:\[ x[1] = \frac{1^2}{2} + 1 = \frac{1}{2} + 1 = \frac{3}{2}. \] Thus, the second term is \(\frac{3}{2}\).
04
Calculate the term for \(k = 2\)
Substitute \(k = 2\) into the formula:\[ x[2] = \frac{2^2}{2} + 2 = 2 + 2 = 4. \] The third term is 4.
05
Calculate the term for \(k = 3\)
Substitute \(k = 3\) into the formula:\[ x[3] = \frac{3^2}{2} + 3 = \frac{9}{2} + 3 = \frac{9}{2} + \frac{6}{2} = \frac{15}{2}. \] Hence, the fourth term is \(\frac{15}{2}\).
06
Calculate the term for \(k = 4\)
Substitute \(k = 4\) into the formula:\[ x[4] = \frac{4^2}{2} + 4 = \frac{16}{2} + 4 = 8 + 4 = 12. \] The fifth term is 12.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Sequence Formula
A sequence formula is a mathematical expression that helps you determine the terms of a sequence. In our exercise, the sequence is defined by the formula \(x[k] = \frac{k^2}{2} + k\). This formula tells us how to generate each term based on the variable \(k\), which represents a position in the sequence.
- The beauty of using a sequence formula is its ability to extend a sequence as far as you need, by substituting different values for \(k\).
- Here, \(k\) can be any non-negative integer: 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Sequence Terms
Sequence terms are individual elements found at certain positions in a sequence. Each term is derived by plugging in a specific value of \(k\) into the sequence formula. In our case, to find the first five terms, we calculate as follows:
- When \(k = 0\), the term is \(x[0] = 0\).
- For \(k = 1\), the term is \(x[1] = \frac{3}{2}\).
- With \(k = 2\), the term is \(x[2] = 4\).
- At \(k = 3\), the term becomes \(x[3] = \frac{15}{2}\).
- Finally, when \(k = 4\), the term is \(x[4] = 12\).
Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence is a special type of sequence where each consecutive term increases or decreases by a constant value. In contrast, the sequence in our example is not strictly arithmetic because the difference between successive terms is not constant.
While a typical arithmetic sequence follows the format \(a, a+d, a+2d, \ldots\), where \(d\) is the common difference, our sequence deviates from this pattern.
While a typical arithmetic sequence follows the format \(a, a+d, a+2d, \ldots\), where \(d\) is the common difference, our sequence deviates from this pattern.
- The sequence begins with terms: 0, \(\frac{3}{2}\), 4, \(\frac{15}{2}\), and 12.
- Each difference between terms varies: from 0 to \(\frac{3}{2}\) is \(\frac{3}{2}\), from \(\frac{3}{2}\) to 4 is \(\frac{5}{2}\), and so on.