This blog post describes a lesson that investigates some ideas about sequences that are not stressed in the AP Calculus curriculum. The lesson could be an introduction to sequences. I think the lesson would work in an Algebra I course and is certainly suitable for a pre-calculus course. The investigation is of irrational numbers and…
The last BC question on the exams usually concerns sequences and series. The question usually asks students to write a Taylor or Maclaurin series and to answer questions about it and its interval of convergence, or about a related series found by differentiating or integrating. The topics may appear in other free-response questions and in…
This is a BC topic. SEQUENCES Everyday series (1-17-2017) The most familiar series: Numbers Amortization (2-9-2015) An important use of a (finite) series – Find you mortgage payment without calculus. Convergence Test List A summary of the tests. Download and copy for your students (and yourself) Which Convergence Test Should I Use? Part 1 (2-9-2018)…
Good Question 14 – The Integral Test I have no criteria for what constitutes a “Good Question” for this series of occasional posts. They are just questions that I found interesting, or that seem more than usually instructive, or that I learn something from. I cannot quote this question (2016 BC 92) since it is…
Continuing with post on sequences and series New Series from Old 1 Rewriting using substitution New Series from Old 2 Finding series by differentiating and integrating New Series from Old 3 Rewriting rational expressions as geometric series Geometric Series – Far Out A look at doing a question the right way and the “wrong” way?…
Convergence tests for series appear on both sections of the BC Calculus exam. In the multiple-choice section, students may be asked to say if a sequence or series converges or which of several series converge. The Ratio test is used most often to determine the radius of convergence and the other tests to determine the…
Our BC friends will soon be starting to teach series. Today, to emphasize that series are all around us, I would like to discuss series that we see every day: numbers. Long ago I was taught that no one has ever seen a “number.” Have you ever see a four? What we see are numerals, symbols or…
