Calculate terms in a Series

B

BarbV

Hi can someone tell me how to set this up? Thank you.
Calculate the next 3 terms in the series 1/4 +1/9+1/14+1/19+...
 
M

Myrna Larson

Not sure what you want to show in the cells, but assuming the 1st term, 1/4 is
in A1, and you want 1/9 in A2, 1/14 in A3, etc, in A2 put this formula and
copy it down. =1/(1/A1+5). You can format with a Fraction format to show as
1/4, 1/9, 1/14, etc.
 
M

Myrna Larson

Another formula that will work and doesn't require putting 1/4 in the top cell
is the following, in row 1 of any column:

=1/(ROW()*5-1)
 
J

Jerry W. Lewis

If you question is how to do a summation in Excel, Myrna has given you
an answer. If instead you are wanting help identifying the particular
sequence that you are summing,
http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/
is the standard tool. There are a number of possibilities for the next
term in 4,9,14,19, depending on the mechanism for generating the first
four terms.

Jerry
 
B

BarbV

Thank you for your help.
--
Barbara


Myrna Larson said:
Not sure what you want to show in the cells, but assuming the 1st term, 1/4 is
in A1, and you want 1/9 in A2, 1/14 in A3, etc, in A2 put this formula and
copy it down. =1/(1/A1+5). You can format with a Fraction format to show as
1/4, 1/9, 1/14, etc.
 
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