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How to find general formula for partial sums?

2 Answers

5 votes

Final answer:

The general formula for partial sums can be found using the concept of arithmetic series. The formula is S_n = n/2 (a + l), where S_n is the sum of the first n terms, n is the number of terms, a is the first term, and l is the last term.

Step-by-step explanation:

The general formula for partial sums can be found using the concept of arithmetic series. The formula is:

Sn = n/2 (a + l)

Where:

  • Sn is the sum of the first n terms
  • n is the number of terms
  • a is the first term
  • l is the last term

To find the general formula for partial sums, substitute the values of a and l in the equation and simplify the expression.

User Lawonga
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A Partial Sum is a sum of sart of a sequence, where a sequence is a set of things (usually numbers) that are in order.

Partial Sums are often written using Σ (called Sigma) to mean "add them all up":

When you should calculate the kth partial sum of an arithmetic sequence, you need to add the first k terms. If k is large, than you will need a long time to calculate the sum. Fortunately, you can use a general formula instead of plugging in each of the values for n.

The first thing you should do is to find the first term of the sequence.

Then you should find the kth term of the sequence.

Then you should use the formula for the kth partial sum of an arithmetic sequence to find the sum.

User Ragebunny
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