Sum of Arithmetic &
Geometric Series
If a series is based on an arithmetic or geometric sequence, we have
explicit formulas for calculating the sum of an associated series.
The spreadsheet shown below allows you to enter the first two terms
of a sequence (either arithmetic or geometric) and the number of
terms you want. It then calculates the nth term, as well as the sum
of the first n terms of the series.
The
spreadsheet at the right shows the values that you need to enter for
this spreadsheet.
This
diagram shows the spreadsheet for T1 = 1, T2 =
3, and n = 10.
last update November 5, 1998 by
JL Stanbrough