Find the first six terms of the sequence.

a1 = -8, an = 5 • an-1

Question

Find the first six terms of the sequence.

a1 = -8, an = 5 • an-1

ybarrap · Answer

Rewriting your equations:
$$
a_1=-8\
a_n=5a_{n-1}
$$
Here, $n$ represents the $n^{th}$ term of the series and $a_n$ represents the value of that term; so, $a_1$  is the first term, $a_2$ is the second term and $a_6$ is the sixth term.

So to get $a_6$, the sixth term, all you need to do is set $n=6$ in the second equation:
$$
a_6=5a_{(6-1)}=5a_{5}
$$
Which means you'll need $a_5$ to solve:
$$
a_5=5a_{(5-1)}=5a_{4}
$$

Keep going like this until you get
$$
a_2=5a_{(2-1)}=5a_{1}
$$
Then you'll have everything you need to get $a_6$. There is actually a simpler way, but for now you should do this to understand the series.

Make sense?

anonymous · Answer

not really..