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| title | TARGET DECK | FILE TAGS | tags | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequences | Obsidian::STEM | algebra::sequence |
|
Overview
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers. These are usually represented as a closed formula or a recursive definition.
%%ANKI Basic What is a sequence? Back: An ordered list of values. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
How does sequence 0, 1, 2, \ldots differ from set \mathbb{N}?
Back: Order matters in the former.
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
How is sequence a_1, a_2, \ldots more compactly denoted?
Back: (a_n)_{n \geq 1}
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
What is the first index of (a_n)_{n \geq 1}?
Back: 1
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
What terms make up the expanded form of sequence (a_n)_{n \geq 0}?
Back: a_0, a_1, a_2, \ldots
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
What term refers to the subscripts in sequence a_0, a_1, a_2, \ldots?
Back: Indices.
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Basic How do functions and sequences relate to one another? Back: Every sequence is equivalent to a function mapping index to value. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
How is sequence a_0, a_1, a_2, \ldots interpreted as a function?
Back: As a function that assigns n \mapsto a_n.
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Basic What two methods allow exact specification of a sequence? Back: Closed formulas and recursive definitions. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
What is a closed formula for sequence e.g. (a_n)_{n \geq 0}?
Back: A formula that can be computed using a fixed number of "well-known" standard operations, independent of n.
Reference: Ronald L. Graham, Donald Ervin Knuth, and Oren Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd ed (Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1994).
END%%
%%ANKI
Cloze
{n!} is a closed formula even though equivalent expression {\Pi_{k=1}^n k} is not.
Reference: Ronald L. Graham, Donald Ervin Knuth, and Oren Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd ed (Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1994).
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
Why is \Pi_{k=1}^n k not considered a closed formula?
Back: The number of "well-known" standard operations (i.e. multiplications) scale with n.
Reference: Ronald L. Graham, Donald Ervin Knuth, and Oren Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd ed (Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1994).
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
Why is n! considered a closed formula?
Back: Because the factorial operation is considered a "well-known" standard operation.
Reference: Ronald L. Graham, Donald Ervin Knuth, and Oren Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd ed (Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1994).
END%%
%%ANKI Basic What two parts make up a recursive definition of a sequence? Back: The recurrence relation and an initial condition. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Basic What distinguishes a recurrence relation and a recursive definition? Back: A recursive definition includes a recurrence relation along with an initial condition. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
How is sequence (a_n)_{n \geq 0} = 1, 2, 4, 8, \ldots represented as a closed formula?
Back: a_n = 2^n
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI
Basic
How is sequence (a_n)_{n \geq 0} = 1, 2, 4, 8, \ldots represented as a recursive definition?
Back: a_n = 2 \cdot a_{n-1} with a_0 = 1.
Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Cloze It is harder to find {terms of a sequence} with a recursive definition than closed formula. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Basic Which is considered easier to find: closed formulas or recursive definitions? Back: Recursive definitions. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
%%ANKI Basic What general strategy is typically employed when finding a closed formula for a sequence? Back: First find a recursive definition. Reference: Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
END%%
Bibliography
- Oscar Levin, Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction, 3rd ed., n.d., https://discrete.openmathbooks.org/pdfs/dmoi3-tablet.pdf.
- Ronald L. Graham, Donald Ervin Knuth, and Oren Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd ed (Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1994).