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2 - 6 +18 - ... +1458
Determine the number of terms in the geometric series

1 Answer

3 votes

Answer:

7

Explanation:

The first term is 2. The common ratio is -6/2 = -3. The n-th term is ...

an = a1·r^(n -1)

Using the last term value, we have ...

1458 = 2·(-3)^(n -1)

729 = (-3)^(n -1)

Taking logarithms, we have ...

log(729) = (n -1)·log(|-3|)

n = 1 +log(729)/log(3) = 1 +6 = 7

The series is 7 terms long.

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There are few enough terms that we can write them all out:

2 -6 +18 -54 +162 -486 +1458

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Additional comment

Had it worked out that n was computed to be an even number, we would have to declare "no solution."

User Thibaut Ranise
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