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Jessica Lilly

Introduction
The following investigation will investigate the average limits of
sequences. Average limit sequences, which will be further explained
below, tend to produce results that get increasingly closer to a
central number known as a limit. Assuming no rounding is done, the
sequence can never reach the limit but it will converge upon a limit
through infinite increasing proximity. For all of the calculations done
below I used Microsoft Excel in order to increase my efficiency and
accuracy.
Average limits
I found the first 10 terms in each sequence, to find the limit of the
sequences that start with the numbers shown as A and B in the
table below. I made the sequences so the number is the sequence is
always the average of the previous two numbers, to find the
average limit.
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6

12
6
9
7.5
8.25
7.875
8.0625
7.96875

6
12
9
10.5
9.75
10.125
9.9375
10.03125

9
3
6
4.5
5.25
4.875
5.0625
4.96875

3
9
6
7.5
6.75
7.125
6.9375
7.03125

8.01562
5
7.99218
75
8.00390
625
7.99804
6875

9.984375

5.01562
5
4.99218
75
5.00390
625
4.99804
6875

6.98437
5
7.00781
25
6.99609
375
7.00195
3125

8
9
1
0

10.00781
25
9.996093
75
10.00195
3125

6
3
4.5
3.75
4.125
3.9375
4.03125
3.98437
5
4.00781
25
3.99609
375
4.00195
3125
3.99902
3438

3
6
4.5
5.25
4.875
5.0625
4.96875
5.01562
5
4.99218
75
5.00390
625
4.99804
6875
5.00097
6563

Let a=the first number in the sequence


Let b=the second number in the sequence
Let L=the limit
Sequence
1
2
3
4
5
6

a
12
6
9
3
6
3

b
6
12
3
9
3
6

L
8
10
5
7
4
5

The limit of sequence beginning with 12, 6 is shown as the trend line
in the graph below.

Based on the results shown in the table above I have concluded that
the following formula works for determining the average limits of a
sequence assuming the average of the previous two numbers are
taken.
Rule connecting the first two numbers a and b to the limit L:
L=

a+2 b
3

Algebraic Proof of rule:


a+b
2
1 2 b a+ b a+3 b
+
=
2 2
2
4

1 2 a+2 b a+ 3 b 3 a+5 b
+
=
2
4
4
8

1 2 a+6 b 3 a+5 b 5 a+ 11 b
+
=
2
8
8
16

1 6 a+10 b 5 a+11 b 11 a+21 b


+
=
2
16
16
32

1 10 a+22 b 11 a+21b 21 a+ 43b


+
=
2
32
32
64

1 22 a+42 b 21a+ 43 b 43 a+85 b


+
=
2
64
64
128

1 42 a+86 b 43 a+85 b 85 a+171b


+
=
2
128
128
256

1 86 a+170 b 85 a+171 b 171 a+341 b


+
=
2
256
256
512

1 170 a+342 b 171 a+341 b 341 a+ 683b


+
=
2
512
512
1024

1 342 a+682 b 341 a+683 b 683 a+1365 b


+
=
2
1024
1024
2048

the sequence is

a,b,

a+b a+3 b 5 a+ 11 b 11 a+21 b 21 a+43 b 43 a+85 b 85 a+171 b 171 a+341 b 341 a+683 b
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
2
4
16
32
64
128
256
512
1024

The sequence is expressed in the table below. We can see the


fractions become increasingly closer to their limit.
Term
a+b
2
a+3 b
4
5 a+ 11 b
16
11 a+21 b
32
21 a+43 b
64
43 a+85 b
128
85 a+171b
256
171 a+341 b
512
341 a+683 b
1024
683 a+1365 b
2048
Limit

Coefficient of a
1
2
1
4
5
16
11
32
12
64
43
128
85
256
171
512
341
1024
683
2048
1
3

Coefficient of b
1
2
3
2
11
16
21
32
43
64
85
128
171
265
341
512
683
1024
1365
2048
2
3

The above proofs can never reach the formulae, although they will
become infinitely closer, were we to continue the sequence.
1
, as the
3
numbers in the co-efficient of a column become increasingly closer
1
to
. This further proves that the formula has the co-efficient of b
3
2
as the numbers in the co-efficient of b column become
3
2
increasingly closer to
.
3
This proves that the formula has the co-efficient of a

The first 10 terms of the average of a sequence starting with b and


1
1
a+ b can be seen in the table below
2
2
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Limit

b
1
1
a+ b
2
2
1
3
a+ b
4
4
3
5
a+ b
8 8
5
11
a+ b
16
16
11
21
a+ b
32
32
21
43
a+ b
64
64
43
85
a+
b
128
128
85
171
a+
b
256
256
171
341
a+
b
512
512
341
683
a+
b
1024
1024
683
1365
a+
b
2048
2048
1
2
a+ b
3
3

Based on the results shown in the above table it ban be concluded


that the average limit and the first 10 terms of the average of a
1
1
a+ b is the same as that in a
sequence starting with b and
2
2
sequence beginning with a b.
Extending the Problem
The table below shows what happens with a sequence where the
next value is the average of the first 3 starting numbers.
A
B
C
1
2
3
4

18
12
6
12
10
9.333333333
10.44444444

5
6
7
8
9
10
Limit

9.925925926
9.901234568
10.09053498
9.925925926
9.901234568
9.972565158
9.933241884

This sequence can be represented through the following formula:


L=

a+2 b+3 c
6

I figured out this formula, knowing that it would be similar to my first


formula and knowing that my co-efficients would be divided by 6.
The table below shows what happens with a sequence where the
next value is the average of the first 4 starting numbers.
a
b
c
d
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Limit

40
30
20
10
25
21.25
19.0625
18.828125
21.03515625
20.04394531
19.74243164
19.91241455
20.18348694
19.97056961
19.95222569

This sequence can be represented through the following formula:


L=

a+2 b+3 c +4 d
10

Evaluation
In this investigation I used two methods to find and solve equations.
These methods were guessing and algebra. I employed educated
guesses in working out my formulas, which has its disadvantages,

considering it can be very time consuming. The other method I used


was algebra, which I used to solve my proofs, which has very little
room for error considering I was using a computer program, the only
margin for error being in me falsely typing in or transferring
numbers.

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