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Geometric progression

From Encyclopedia of Mathematics - Reading time: 1 min


A sequence of numbers each one of which is equal to the preceding one multiplied by a number $q\ne0$ (the denominator of the progression). A geometric progression is called increasing if $q>1$, and decreasing if $0<q<1$; if $q<0$, one has a sign-alternating progression. Any term of a geometric progression $a_j$ can be expressed by its first term $a_0$ and the denominator $q$ by the formula aj=a0qj. The sum of the first $n$ terms of a geometric progression (with $q\ne1$) is given by the formula a0+a0q+a0q2++a0qn1=Sn=a01qn1q=ana0q1 If $|q|<1$, the sum $S_n$ tends to the limit $S=a_0/(1-q)$ as $n$ tends to infinity. This number $S$ is known as the sum of the infinitely-decreasing geometric progression.

The expression a0+a0q+a0q2++a0qn+, if $|q|<1$ is the simplest example of a convergent series — a geometric series; the number $a_0/(1-q)$ is the sum of the geometric series.

The term "geometric progression" is connected with the following property of any term of a geometric progression with positive terms: $a_n = \sqrt{a_{n-1}a_{n+1}}$, i.e. any term is the geometric mean of the term which precedes it and the term which follows it.


How to Cite This Entry: Geometric progression (Encyclopedia of Mathematics) | Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://encyclopediaofmath.org/wiki/Geometric_progression
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