That means that we don't have to add all numbers. The sum of each pair is constant and equal to 24. We will add the first and last term together, then the second and second-to-last, third and third-to-last, etc. Let's try to sum the terms in a more organized fashion. We could sum all of the terms by hand, but it is not necessary. Look at the first example of an arithmetic sequence: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21. Trust us, you can do it by yourself - it's not that hard!

Our arithmetic sequence calculator can also find the sum of the sequence (called the arithmetic series) for you. A perfect spiral - just like this one! (Credit: Wikimedia.) If you drew squares with sides of length equal to the consecutive terms of this sequence, you'd obtain a perfect spiral. It's worth your time.Ī great application of the Fibonacci sequence is constructing a spiral. Interesting, isn't it? So if you want to know more, check out the fibonacci calculator. Each term is found by adding up the two terms before it. This is not an example of an arithmetic sequence, but a special case called the Fibonacci sequence. Now, let's take a close look at this sequence:Ĭan you deduce what is the common difference in this case? What happens in the case of zero difference? Well, you will obtain a monotone sequence, where each term is equal to the previous one. Naturally, if the difference is negative, the sequence will be decreasing. If the common difference of an arithmetic sequence is positive, we call it an increasing sequence. In fact, it doesn't even have to be positive! Some examples of an arithmetic sequence include:Ĭan you find the common difference of each of these sequences? Hint: try subtracting a term from the following term.īased on these examples of arithmetic sequences, you can observe that the common difference doesn't need to be a natural number - it could be a fraction.

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