Question

How do you write the first five terms of the sequence `a_n=(-1/2)^n`?

Answer 1

Plug it in!

Explanation:

So we have to know where the sequence starts, but we will assume it starts at `n = 0` (there may be some different practice in your class, usually `n = 1` if not `n = 0`)

Therefore, we can plug in the first few:
`a_0 = (-1/2)^0 = 1`
`a_1 = (-1/2)^1 = -1/2`
`a_2 = (-1/2)^2 = 1/4`
`a_3 = (-1/2)^3 = -1/8`
`a_4 = (-1/2)^4 = 1/16`

giving us the beginning of our sequence.