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Determine if each sequence is arithmetic, geometric, or neither.

4, 8, 16, 32, 64, . . .

-8, -4, 0, 4, 8, . . .

2, 3, 5, 8, 13, . . .

User Mhutter
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1 Answer

4 votes

9514 1404 393

Answer:

  • geometric
  • arithmetic
  • neither (Fibonacci sequence)

Explanation:

If ratios are the same, it is geometric:

8/4 = 16/8 = ... = 2

If differences are the same, it is arithmetic:

-4-(-8) = 0 -(-4) = ... = 4

If neither is the case, it is neither:

3-2 ≠ 5 -3

3/2 ≠ 5/3

In this last sequence we see that differences equal the previous term. This is characteristic of the Fibonacci sequence, which sees wide use in Nature, and has a relationship to the Golden Ratio. (The ratios of successive terms approach the golden ratio (1+√5)/2 ≈ 1.618.)

User Yevgeniy P
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