Sequence & Series

PART – I : PRE RMO

1. In the following two A.P.'s how many terms are identical ?
2, 5, 8, 11 .... to 60 terms and 3, 5, 7, ..... 50 terms
2. The value of 91/3 . 91/9. 91/27 ......upto , is-
3. The sum of 10 terms of the series 0.7 + .77 + .777 + .........is-
4 7 10
4. The nth terms of the series 1 +   +....... is
5 52 53
7 9 11
5. The sum of infinite terms of the series 5   2  3  ...... is
3 3 3
6. The sum of the series 1.2 + 2.3 + 3.4 + .......up to 20 terms is

1
7. 
r2 r2  1
is equal to:

1
8. If (12 – t1)+ (22 –t2) +......+ (n2 –tn) = n(n2 –1), then tn is
3
x100
9. If x > 0, then the expression is always less than or equal to
1  x  x 2  x3  .....  x200
10. Given the sequence a, ab, aab, aabb, aaabb, aaabbb, ..... upto 2004 terms, the total number of times
a’s and b’s are used from 1 to 2004 terms are :
11. A sequence a0,a1,a2,a3.......,an ... is defined such that a0 = a1 = 1 and an+1 = (an–1,an) + 1 for n 1. Which of
the following is true ?
12. The first two terms of a sequence are 0 and 1. The nth terms Tn = 2Tn–1 – Tn–2 , n  3. For example the
third term T3 = 2T2 – T1 = 2 – 0 = 2. The sum of the first 2006 terms of this sequence is :
13. Consider the following sequence : a1 = a2 = 1, ai = 1+ minimum {ai-1 , ai–2} for i > 2. Then a2006 =

1 1 1 1
14. The sum of + + + ..... + is
2 11 2 3 2 2 3 4 3 3 4 25 24  24 25

 1   2   3   99 
15. If f(x) + f(1–x) is equal to 10 for all real numbers x then f   + f  + f  +....+ f   equals
 100   100   100   100 
16. Consider the sequence 4,4,8,2,0,2,2,4,6,0,.... where the nth term is the units place of the sum of the
previous two terms for n  3. If Sn is the sum to n terms of this sequence then the smallest ‘n’ for which
Sn > 2010 is :

17. For some natural number ‘n’, the sum of the fist ‘n’ natural numbers is 240 less than the sum of the first
(n + 5) natural numbers. Then n itself is the sum of how many natural numbers starting with 1.
18. An arithmetical progression has positive terms. The ratio of the difference of the 4th and 8th term to 15th
4
term is and the square of the difference of the 4th and the 1st term is 225. Which term of the series
15
is 2015 ?

19. The 12 numbers a1, a2,........, a12 are in arithmetical progression. The sum of all these numbers is 354.
Let P = a2 + a4 + .......... + a12 and Q = a1 + a3 + ...... + a11. If the ratio P : Q is 32 : 27, the common
difference of the progression is
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 Sequence & Series

20. Each term of a sequence is the sum of its preceding two terms from the third term onwards. The
second term of the sequence is –1 and the 10th term is 29. The first term is ____ .
21. n is a natural number. It is given that (n + 20) + (n + 21) + ......+ (n + 100) is a perfect square. Then the
least value of n is __________.
22. In a G.P. of real numbers, the sum of the first two terms is 7. The sum of the first six terms is 91. The
sum of the first four terms is __________ .
23. In a potato race, a bucket is placed at the starting point, which is 7 meter from the first potato. The other
potatoes are placed 4 m a part in a straight line from the first one. There are n potatoes in the line.
Each competitor starts from the bucket, picks up the nearest potato, runs back with it, drops in the
bucket, runs back to pick up the next potato, runs to the bucket and drops it and this process continues
till all the potatoes are picked up and dropped in the bucket. Each competitor ran a total of 150 m. The
number of potatoes is.________.
24. The coefficient of the quadratic equation ax2 + (a + d)x + (a + 2d) = 0 are consecutive terms of a
d
positively valued, increasing arithmetic sequence. Determine the least integral value of such that the
a
equation has real solutions.
25. Find the sum of integers from 1 to 100 that are divisible by 2 or 5
26. The sum of three numbers in A.P. is 27, and their product is 504, find them.
27. Three friends whose ages form a G.P. divide a certain sum of money in proportion to their ages. If they
do that three years later, when the youngest is half the age of the oldest, then he will receive 105
rupees more that he gets now and the middle friend will get 15 rupees more that he gets now, then find
the ages of the friends
28. The roots of the equation x5 – 40x4 + ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0 are in GP. If sum of reciprocals of the roots
is 10, then find |c| and |d|
29. Let Tn denotes the nth term of a G.P. with common ratio 2 and (log2(log3(log512 T100))) = 1. If three sides
2160
of a triangle ABC are the values of (T1 + T2), T2 and T3 then area of the triangle is , where N is
N
a positive integer. Find the remainder when N is divided by 210.
30. If a, b, c are in A.P. and if (b – c) x2 + (c – a) x + a – b = 0 and 2(c + a) x2 + (b + c)x = 0 have a common
root, then show that a2, c2, b2 are in A.P.
31. Along a road lies an odd number of stones placed at intervals of 10 m. These stones have to be
assembled around the middle stone. A person can carry only one stone at a time. A man carried out the
job starting with the stone in the middle, carrying stones in succession, thereby covering a distance of
4.8 km. find the number of stones.
32. a, b, c are positive real numbers forming a. G.P. If ax2 + 2bx + c = 0 and dx2 + 2ex + f = 0 have a
common root, then prove that d/a, e/b, f/c are in A.P.
33. Determine all pairs (a, b) of real numbers such that 10, a, b, ab are in arithmetic progression.

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
34. If 1 2
 2
+ 1 2
 2
+ 1 2
 2
+....+ 1  2
 2
= x– , then find the value of x
1 2 2 3 3 4 (1999) (2000) x
35. If n is any positive integer, then find the number whose square is 111........1
 – 222........2

2n times n times

3 5 7 9
36. Find the sum of infinite terms of the series : + + + + ........
2.4 2.4.6 2.4.6.8 2.4.6.8.10
37. If S1 , S2 , S3 , ........ , S2n are the sums of infinite geometric series whose first terms are respectively
1 , 2 , 3 , ........ , 2 n and common ratio are respectively ,
1 1 1
, , ........ , , find the value of , S12 + S22 + ........ + S22n  1 .
2 3 2n  1
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 Sequence & Series

38. Find the Sum of series 12 + (12 + 22) + (12 + 22 + 32) + . . . . . upto n terms
j1
72 1
39. Let aj=   , jN. If bj = a 2j  a j , sum of the infinite series formed by bj’s is (10 + ) where  
43 
is equal to ( [ ] represent greatest integer function)
40. The sequence 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54,..... consists of successive multiples of 9. This sequence is then
altered by multiplying every other term by –1, starting with the first term, to produce the new sequence
–9, 18, –27, 36, –45, 54,......... If the sum of the first n terms of this new sequence is 180, determine n.
41. As shown in the figure, the five circles are tangent to one another consecutively and to the lines L1 and
L2. If the radius of the largest circle is 18 and that of the smaller one is 8, If radius of the middle circle
is r, then find the value of r/2 .

42. The arithmetic mean of the nine numbers in the given set {9, 99, 999, ....... 999999999} is a 9 digit
number N, all whose digits are distinct. Then which digit does not appear in number
43. Let a sequence whose nth term is {an} be defined as
1
a1 = and (n – 1)an – 1 = (n + 1)an for n  2 then find Lim Sn
2 n
2 2 2 2 2 2
1 2 3 10012 1 2 3 2
[x  y]
44. If x = + + 
+ ........ +
, y =   ........ + 1001 , then is equal to
1 3 5 2001 3 5 7 2003 10
(where [.] denotes greatest integer function)
45. Let K is a positive integer such that 36 + K, 300 + K, 596 + K are the squares of three consecutive
terms of an arithmetic progression. Find K.

PART – II : RMO
  
1. For 0 <  < /2, if: x = 
n0
cos2n , y = 
n0
sin2n , z = 
n0
cos2n  sin2n  then prove that:

(i) xyz = xy + z (ii) xyz = x + y + z

2. If a = 111.......1
 , b = 1 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 and c = 1 + 10 + 10 + ...... + 10 then prove that
2 3 4 5 10 50

55 times

b, a , c are in G.P.

n(n  1)2
3. The sum of the first n-terms of the series 12 + 2.22 + 32 + 2.42 + 52 + 2.62 + .......... is , when n is
2
n2 (n  1)
even. When n is odd, then prove that sum is
2

1 1 1
4. If S denotes the sum to infinity and Sn the sum of n terms of the series 1 +   ........... such that
2 4 8
1
S – Sn < , then find the least value of n.
1000

5. a, b, c, d are four different real numbers which are in AP. If 2(a – b) + x (b – c)2 + (c – a)3 = 2 (a – d) +
(b – d)2 + (c – d)3, then find the range of x.

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 Sequence & Series

1 1
6. Consider the sequence an+1 = , n  1. Given that a1 = find sum of first 100 terms of this
1  an 2
sequence
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 2
 2
 2
 .....  2
 2
 2
 2
 2
 ..... 
7. Find the value of 3 997 5 999 7
1002 1004 1006 20002
1 1 1 1 1
1  2  2  2  ........  2

2 3 4 999 10002
8. Let a1, a2, a3, ....., a11 be real numbers satisfying a1 = 15, 27 – 2a2 > 0 and ak = 2ak–1 – ak–2 for k = 3, 4,
a12  a22  ....  a11
2
a  a2  ...  a11
...., 11. If = 90, then the find value of 1 .
11 11

PART – I : PREVIOUS ASKED QUESTION FOR PRE RMO

n 99
1 1
1. Let Sn = 
k=0 k + 1+ k
. What is the value of S
n=1 + Sn-1
?= [PRMO 2013]
n

2. Let m be the smallest odd positive integer for which 1 + 2 + …….. + m is a square of an integer and let
n be the smallest even positive integer for which 1 + 2 + …….. + n is a square of an integer. What is the
value of m + n ? [PRMO 2013]
3. What is the maximum possible value of k for which 2013 can be written as sum of k consecutive
positive integers ? [PRMO 2013]
4. The first term of a sequence is 2014. Each succeeding term is the sum of the cubes of the digits of the
previous term. What is the 2014th term of the sequence ? [PRMO 2014]
5. A sequence of positive (a1, a2,... an) is called good if ai = a1 + a2 + ....+ ai–1 for all 2 i  n. What is the
maximum possible value of n for a good sequence such that an = 9216 ? [PRMO 2015]
2015 k(k +1)
6. Find the sum S =  (–1)
k=1
2
k [PRMO 2015]

7. A new sequence is obtained from the sequence of positive integers 1, 2, …….., by deleting all the
perfect squares. What is the 2015-th term from the beginning of the new sequence ?
[PRMO 2015]
8. Let E(n) denote the sum of the even digits of n. For example, E(1243) = 2 + 4 = 6. What is the value of
E(1) + E(2) + E(3) + …….. + E(100) ? [PRMO 2015]
9. Consider the sequence 1, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7,….. and evaluate its 2016th term.
10. Find the value of the expression
(3 4  32  1).(54  52  1).(7 4  72  1).(94  92  1).(114  112  1).(13 4  132  1)
(24  22  1).(4 4  42  1).(6 4.62  1).(8 4  82  1).(104  102  1).(124  122  1)
When written in lowest form. [PRMO 2016Delhi]
1 1 1 1 1
11. Let S = 1 +     . Find [S] [PRMO 2016WB]
2 3 4 99 100
 1
You may use the fact that  n < 
 2
 
n + n + 1 < n + 1 for all integers n  1.

12. For positive real numbers x and y, define their special mean to be average of their arithmetic and
geometric means. Find the total number of pairs of integers (x, y), with x  y, from the set of numbers
(1, 2, …..,2016), such that the special mean of x and y is a perfect square. [PRMO 2016WB]

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 Sequence & Series

13. Let u, v, w be real numbers in geometric progression such that u > v > w. Suppose u40 = v n = w60 . Find
the value of n. [PRMO 2017]
9
1 p
14. Let the sum  n(n  1)(n  2) written in its lowest terms be q . Find the value of q – p.
n1
[PRMO 2017]
15. Suppose x is a positive real number such that {x}, [x] and x are in the geometric progression. Find the
least positive integer n such that xn > 100. (Here [x] denotes the integer part of x and {x} = x – [x])
[PRMO 2017]
16. Five distinct 2-digit numbers are in a geometric progression. Find the middle term.
[PRMO 2017]
17. Let N = 6 + 66 + 666 + ….. + 666….66, where there are hundred 6’s in the last term in the sum. How
many times does the digit 7 occur in the number N ? [PRMO 2018]

18. What is the value of 

1 i j10
(i  j) – 
1 i j10
(i  j) ? [PRMO 2018]
i j odd i j even

19. A book is published in three volumes, the pages being numbered from 1 onwards. The page numbers
are continued from the first volume to the second volume to the third. The number of pages in the
second volume is 50 more than that in the first volume, and the number pages in the third volume is
one and a half times that in the second. The sum of the page numbers on the first pages of the three
volumes is 1709. If n is the last page number, what is the largest prime factor of n ? [PRMO 2018]

20. A natural number k > 1 is called good if there exist natural numbers
a1 < a2 < ………. < ak
1 1 1
such that   ......  1
a1 a2 ak
Let f(n) be the sum of the first n good numbers, n  1. Find the sum of all values of n for which
f(n + 5)/f(n) is an integer. [PRMO 2019]

21. Each of the numbers x1, x2,……….x101 is ±1. What is the smallest positive value of  xi x j ?
1 i  j 101
[PRMO 2019]

22. What is the greatest integer not exceeding the sum 1599 1 [PRMO 2019]
 n1
n

23. Positive integers x, y, z satisfy xy + z = 160. Compute the smallest possible value of x + yz.
[PRMO 2019]

PART – II : PREVIOUSLY ASKED QUESTION OF RMO

1. Prove that there exist two infinite sequences (an)n  1
and (bn)n  1
of positive integers such that the
following conditions hold simultaneously : [RMO-2006]
(i) 1 < a1 < a2 < a3 < ...;
(ii) an < bn < a2n, for all n  1;
(iii) an – 1 divides bn – 1, for all n  1;
(iv) a2n – 1 divides b2n – 1, for all n  1.

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 Sequence & Series

1 1 2
2. Three nonzero real numbers a, b, c are said to be in harmonic progression if + = . Find all three-
a c b
term harmonic progressions a, b, c of strictly increasing positive integers in which a = 20 and b
divides c. [RMO-2008]
3. In a book with page numbers from 1 to 100, some pages are torn off. The sum of the numbers on the
remaining pages is 4949. How many pages are torn off ? [RMO-2009]

 n 
4. For each integer n  1, define an =   , where [x] denotes the largest integer not exceeding x, for
 [ n] 
any real number x. Find the number of all n is the set {1, 2, 3,....,2010} for which an > an+1. [RMO-2010]

5. Let a1, a2, ……… a2n be an arithmetic progression of positive real numbers with common difference d.
Let
(i) a12 + a23 + ......... + a 22n –1 = x, [RMO-2014]
(ii) a22 + a24 + …… + a 22n = y, and
(iii) an + an + 1 = z.
Express d in terms of x, y, z, n.
6. Let a1, a 2 , a 3 ,..... be a strictly increasing sequence of positive integers in an arithmetic progression.
Prove that there is an infinite subsequence of the given sequence whose terms are in a geometric
progression. [RMO-2016]

7. (a) Given any natural number N, prove that there exists a strictly increasing sequence of N positive
integers in harmonic progression.
(b) Prove that there cannot exist a strictly increasing infinite sequence of positive integers which is in
harmonic progression. [RMO-2016]

8. (i) Prove that if an infinite sequence of strictly increasing positive integers in arithmetic progression has
one cube then it has infinitely many cubes.
(ii) Find with justification, an infinite sequence of strictly increasing positive integers in arithmetic
progression which does not have any cube. [RMO-2016]

 a11, a12  1, 6 

   
9. Consider the following 3 × 2 array formed by using the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 :  a 21, a 22    2, 5  .
 a , a   3, 4 
 31 32   

Observe that all row sums equal, but the sum of the squares is not same for each row. Extend the
above array to a 3 × k array (a1j)3×k for a suitable k, adding more columns. Using the numbers 7, 8,
9,…… 3k such that
k k k k k k

 a1j   a2j   a 3 j and  ( a1j )2   (a 2 j )2   (a 3j )

2
[RMO-2019]
j1 j 1 j 1 j1 j1 j1

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 Sequence & Series

PART – I : PRE RMO

7  1  3n  2
1. 17 2. 3 3.  89  10  4.
81  10  5n1
5. 27/8 6. 3080 7. ¾ 8. n
1
9. 10. 1002 × 1003 a’s and (1002)2 b’s 11. 4 a2004
201
2005  2006 4
12. 13. 1003 14. 15. 495
2 5
16. 503 17. 9 18. 403 19. 5
20. 3 21. 4 22. 28
23. m = 7, n = 15. 24. 3059 25. 3050 26. 4, 9, 14
27. 12, 18, 27 28. | d | = 32, | c | = 320 29. 0 31. 31
5  1
33. (4, –2),  , 5  34. x = 2000,  35. 333........3

2  2000 n times

n (2n  1) (4n  1)
36. 1/2 37. –1
3
n(n  1)2 (n  2)
38. 39. 1 40. 40 41. 6
12
42. 0 43. 1 44. 50 45. 925

PART – II : RMO
3
4. 11 5. x – 8 or x  16 6. 50 7. 8. 0
4

PART – I : PREVIOUS ASKED QUESTION FOR PRE RMO

1. 9 2. 9 3. 61 4. 370 5. 12
6. 0 7. 2060 8. 400 9. 89 10. 61
11. 18 12. 506 13. 48 14. 83 15. 10
16. 36 17. 33 18. 55 19. 17 20. 18
21. 10 22. 78 23. 50

PART – II : PREVIOUSLY ASKED QUESTION OF RMO

2. (20, 39, 780), (20, 38, 380), (20, 36, 180), (20, 135, 140), (20, 30, 60)
y–x
3. 3 4. 22 – 1, 32 – 1,......, 442 – 1 5. d= 9. 6
zn

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