What is the common difference in the recursively defined arithmetic sequence a1=4

Question

, an=an−1−5
.(1 point)
The common difference is
.

Answer 1

In the given recursively defined arithmetic sequence, the first term \( a_1 = 4 \) and the recursive formula is \( a_n = a_{n-1} - 5 \).

The common difference \( d \) in an arithmetic sequence is the difference between consecutive terms. From the recursive formula, we see that each term is obtained by subtracting 5 from the previous term. Therefore, the common difference \( d \) is:

\[ d = -5 \]

So, the common difference is \(-5\).