An <u>explicit formula</u> for an arithmetic sequence allows you to find the nth term of the sequence.
A <u>recursive formula</u> for an arithmetic sequence allows you to find the nth term of the sequence <em>provided</em> you know the value of the previous term in the sequence.
<u>Explicit formula</u>
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where:
is the nth term
a is the first term
n is the number of the term
d is the common difference
Given:
d = 3
n = 2
Substituting these values into the formula to find a: