Formulas & tables/Mathematics/Sequences/Middle term property (arithmetic)

Middle term property (arithmetic)

an=an−1+an+12a_n=\dfrac{a_{n-1}+a_{n+1}}{2}

Result unit: — (liczba)

What it describes

Every term of an arithmetic sequence (except the endpoints) is the arithmetic mean of its neighbors.

Symbols

ana_n
middle term
an−1,an+1a_{n-1}, a_{n+1}
neighboring terms

Where it comes from

In an arithmetic sequence every term lies exactly midway between its neighbors — this is a test for being arithmetic.

When to use it

Checking whether a sequence is arithmetic; problems with three consecutive terms.

Example

The neighboring terms are 4 and 10. Compute the middle term.
Substitutionneighbors: 4 and 10.
Resulta=4+102=7a=\dfrac{4+10}{2}=7.

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