Given the geometric sequence where a^1 = 4 and the common ratio is 3, what is the domain for n?

Question

anonymous · Answer

this is just a pretest, i know nothing on this but would like to

mathmale · Answer

For clarity, please cann the first term of the sequence 'a', not a^1.

Given that the first term of a geometric sequence is a = 4, and that the common ratio is 4 = 3, and that the counter (first term, second term, third term, and so on) is n, what are possible values of n?  In other words, what is the domain of n?

anonymous · Answer

what do you mean by domain?

mathmale · Answer

This is a basic concept worth learning.  The 'domain' of a function is the set of all acceptable or permitted input (usually x-) values.  You'll need to determine what values of your counter 'n' here are acceptable and which are not and be prepared to explain why that is so.

anonymous · Answer

okay so what does common ration mean?

mathmale · Answer

If the first term is 5, and the common ratio is 2, we multiply 5 by 2 to obtain the second term:  5*2=10.  Then the next term is 10 times the common ratio, or 10 times 2, or 20.  And so on.  Each new term is equal to the previous term times the common ratio, 2.

anonymous · Answer

so would that mean the answer is all real numbers?

anonymous · Answer

@mathmale