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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
a+2 b+3 c
6
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
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,