If the common difference between the terms of the sequence is -15, what term follows the term that has the value 15?

1 Answer
Jun 5, 2015

The term following 15, for an arithmetic progression with a common difference of -15 would be 0.

Briefly, an arithmetic progression is a series of numbers which start with a base value and progresses with each succeeding term, differing from the preceding term by a common difference.

A generic series will be:
#a, a+d, a+2d,..... a+(n-1)d#
where

  • #a# is the 1st term
  • #d# is the common difference
  • #a+(n-1)*d# is the #n^(th)# term of the sequence

Now, if #p# (assume) be some #r^(th)# term of the sequence, the #(r+1)^(th)# term would be #p+d#

So, for a series with 15 as 1st term and common difference -15, the 2nd term would be,

#15+(2-1)*-15 = 0#

If 15 is any term along the series and not necessarily the 1st term, then the next term would again be,

#15+(-15) = 0#