Question

What is the common difference in the recursively defined arithmetic sequence a1=4 , an=an−1−5 .(1 point)

Answer 1

In the given recursively defined arithmetic sequence, we have:

- \( a_1 = 4 \)
- \( a_n = a_{n-1} - 5 \)

The common difference \( d \) can be identified from the recursive formula. Since each term is obtained by subtracting 5 from the previous term, we can say that the common difference is:

\[
d = -5
\]

So, the common difference in this arithmetic sequence is \( -5 \).