For the following sequences determine the term indicated:

a_1=-2, a_n=2(a_n-1)^2,a_4

a_n=ln(e^n+2), a_5

b_0=1, b_1=2, b_n+1=2b_n-b_0

User Icon for Steve Steve answered
9 years ago

what's the problem? Just start working out the values:

a1 = -2
a2 = 2(a1)^2 = 2(-2)^2 = 8
a3 = 2(a2)^2 = 2(8)^2 = 128
...

a1 = ln(e^2) = 2
a2 = ln(e^4) = 4
...

b0 = 1
b1 = 2
b2 = 2(2)-1 = 3
b3 = 2(3)-1 = 5
...

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

To determine the indicated term in each sequence, we will use the given recursive formula or definition and substitute the appropriate values.

For sequence a:
a_1 = -2
a_n = 2(a_n-1)^2

To find a_4, we substitute n=4 into the recurrence relation:
a_4 = 2(a_4-1)^2
a_4 = 2(a_3)^2

To find a_3, we need to continue substituting:
a_3 = 2(a_2)^2
a_3 = 2(2(a_1)^2)^2
a_3 = 2(2(-2)^2)^2
a_3 = 2(8)^2
a_3 = 2(64)
a_3 = 128

Now that we have a_3, we can substitute it back into the equation to find a_4:
a_4 = 2(a_3)^2
a_4 = 2(128)^2
a_4 = 2(16384)
a_4 = 32768

Therefore, a_4 = 32768.

Now let's move on to sequence b:

b_0 = 1
b_1 = 2
b_n+1 = 2b_n - b_0

To find b_2, we substitute n=1 into the recurrence relation:
b_2 = 2b_1 - b_0
b_2 = 2(2) - 1
b_2 = 3

Similarly, to find b_3:
b_3 = 2b_2 - b_1
b_3 = 2(3) - 2
b_3 = 4

Continuing the pattern, we can find b_4:
b_4 = 2b_3 - b_2
b_4 = 2(4) - 3
b_4 = 5

Finally, to find b_5:
b_5 = 2b_4 - b_3
b_5 = 2(5) - 4
b_5 = 6

Therefore, b_5 = 6.