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19 votes
If f(1)=1 and f(n)=4f(n-1) what is the value of f(4)?

User Rob Nemeth
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1 Answer

26 votes
26 votes

Answer:

64

Explanation:

You have the recursive formula f(1)=1; f(n)=4f(n-1) and you want f(4).

Recursion

The value of f(4) can be found a couple of ways. Perhaps the simplest is to compute the first 4 terms of the sequence using the recursive formula.

f(1) = 1

f(2) = 4·1 = 4

f(3) = 4·4 = 16

f(4) = 4·16 = 64

The value of f(4) is 64.

Explicit formula

The multiplying factor of 4 on the previous term tells you this is a geometric sequence with a common ratio of 4. The explicit formula is then ...

f(n) = f(1)·r^(n-1) . . . . . n-th term of sequence with common ratio r

f(n) = 1·4^(n-1) . . . . . . formula for f(1)=1 and r=4

For n=4, this is ...

f(4) = 1·4^(4-1) = 4^3

f(4) = 64

User Adamarla
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