大象传媒

Special sequences

There are some special sequences that you should be able to recognise.

The most important of these are:

  • square numbers: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, ... - the nth term is \(n^2\)
  • cube numbers: 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, ... - the nth term is \(n^3\)
  • triangular numbers: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ... (these numbers can be represented as a triangle of dots). The term to term rule for the triangle numbers is to add one more each time: 1 + 2 = 3, 3 + 3 = 6, 6 + 4 = 10 etc.
  • Fibonacci sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ... (in this sequence you start off with 1 and then to get each term you add the two terms that come before it)