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In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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20 Mar 2012, 09:00
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80% (01:47) correct 20% (01:54) wrong based on 795 sessions
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In the arithmetic sequence \(t_1\), \(t_2\), \(t_3\), ..., \(t_n\), \(t_1=23\) and \(t_n= t_{n-1} - 3\) for each n > 1. What is the value of n when \(t_n = -4\)?
Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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20 Mar 2012, 13:44
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enigma123 wrote:
In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn= tn-1 - 3 for each n > 1. What is the value of n when tn = -4?
A. -1 B. 7 C. 10 D. 14 E. 20
I struggled badly on this question? Can you please help?
\(t_n=t_{n-1}-3\) means that each term is 3 less than the previous term. Now, the difference between \(t_1=23\) and \(t_n=-4\) is \(23-(-4)=27\), so we moved \(\frac{27}{3}=9\) terms from \(t_1\), so from \(t_1\) to \(t_{10}\).
Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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03 Feb 2015, 01:44
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I also did the same as Paresh, but like this:
We know that t1 = 23 So, using the given formula we have: t1=(t1-1) -3 =23 t0 - 3 = 23 t0= 26
The sam way we find that t2= 20
It seems that the sequence goes like this: t0 = 26 t1 = 23 t2 = 20 t3 = 17 t4 = 14 t5 = 11 t6 = 8 t7 = 5 t8 = 2 t9 = -1 t10 = -4
So, our ANS is C.
However, I did do it wrong because, by the way I saw it writen, I though that the whole formula equaled to 23 (t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23). I didn't see any relationship as to why this is 23 (it is an addition, is it a multiplication?). So, then I thought that what was meant is that this sequence is doing a circle, going from t1 to t1 again, and there are 23 numbers in the sequence. So, I though we needed to find tn.
Hopefully the gmat would show in a more clear way that t1=23 and not the whole sequence..
Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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11 Jan 2017, 08:09
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enigma123 wrote:
In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn= tn-1 - 3 for each n > 1. What is the value of n when tn = -4?
A. -1 B. 7 C. 10 D. 14 E. 20
In the given sequence, since we are given the first term, we can use that value to find the second term, and once we know the second term, we can use that value to find the third term, and so on.
t_1 = 23
t_2 = t_1 – 3 = 23 – 3 = 20
t_3 = t_2 – 3 = 20 – 3 = 17
t_4 = t_3 – 3 = 17 – 3 = 14
t_5 = t_4 – 3 = 14 – 3 = 11
t_6 = t_5 – 3 = 11 – 3 = 8
t_7 = t_6 – 3 = 8 – 3 = 5
t_8 = t_7 – 3 = 5 – 3 = 2
t_9 = t_8 – 3 = 2 – 3 = -1
t_10 = t_9 – 3 = -1 – 3 = -4
So n = 10.
Alternative Solution:
Notice that starting from the second term, each term is 3 less than the previous term, which makes the sequence an arithmetic sequence. In an arithmetic sequence, the nth term, a_n, can be found by using the formula a_n = a_1 + d(n – 1) in which a_1 is the first term and d is the common difference.
Since we are given t_n, we can modify the formula to t_n = t_1 + d(n – 1) in which t_1 = 23 and d = -3. So we have:
t_n = t_1 + d(n – 1)
-4 = 23 + (-3)(n – 1)
-27 = -3(n – 1)
9 = n – 1
10 = n
Answer: C
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Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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08 Jun 2017, 16:44
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Attached is a visual that should help.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2017-06-08 at 4.33.09 PM.png [ 108.8 KiB | Viewed 49713 times ]
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Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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28 Feb 2018, 22:41
Hi All,
Questions that use "sequence notation" are relatively rare on Test Day (you'll probably see just 1), but the math behind the sequence is usually some fairly simple arithmetic (add, subtract, multiply, divide).
Here, we're given the first term in the sequence (23) and we're told that each term thereafter is 3 LESS than the preceding term. Once you understand how the sequence "works", in many cases, it's really easy to just "map out" the sequence. We're asked which term in the sequence equals -4.....
Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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07 May 2018, 12:41
a sequence of numbers contains terms t1, t2, t3,......... , tn, where every term is equal to the sum of its two preceding terms. t5 =18 and t8 = 76 what is the value of t9
Re: In the arithmetic sequence t1, t2, t3, ..., tn, t1=23 and tn
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07 May 2018, 16:12
Hi Mangalshubham,
In the future, when posting questions, you should post each in its own unique thread AND you should make sure to post the ENTIRE prompt (with the 5 answer choices and the correct answer - hidden behind a "spoiler" tag).
The prompt you've submitted is a sequence question that you can use to create the following equations. We're told that each term is equal to the SUM of the TWO terms that immediately precede it...
5th term = 18 6th term = X 7th term = 18+X 8th term = 76 = (X + 18 + X)
76 = 2X + 18 58 = 2X 29 = X
Thus, we have...
5th term = 18 6th term = 29 7th term = 47 8th term = 76 9th term = ?
close
80% (01:47) correct 
