Final answer:
The sequence given follows a pattern in which each term is the previous one multiplied by 3. The recursive formula is an = 3 · an-1, a1 = 1/2, and the explicit formula is an = ½ · 3n-1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sequence given is (1/2), (3/2), (9/2), (27/2). This sequence can be described by both a recursive formula and an explicit formula, because each term can be found by multiplying the previous term by 3, or by using powers of 3 directly.
Recursive Formula
The recursive formula for the sequence is:
- a1 = 1/2
- an = 3 · an-1, for n ≥ 2
Explicit Formula
The explicit formula, or the nth term of the sequence, is:
Let's see how the explicit formula applies to the given sequence. For n=1, we have a1 = ½ · 30 = ½. For n=2, a2 = ½ · 31 = ½ · 3 = 3/2. And, it continues similarly for subsequent terms.