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PROGRESSION

Volume 17 · 128 words · 1823 Edition

in general, denotes a regular advancing, or going forwards, in the same course and manner.

in Mathematics, is either arithmetical or geometrical. Continued arithmetic proportion is, where the terms do increase and decrease by equal differences, and is called arithmetic progression:

Thus \( \{a, a+d, a+2d, a+3d, \ldots\} \) increasing by the difference \( d \).

In numbers \( \{2, 4, 6, 8, 10, \ldots\} \) increasing by the difference 2.

Geometric Progression, or Continued Geometric Proportion, is when the terms do increase or decrease by equal ratios: thus,

\( \{a, ar, arr, arrr, \ldots\} \) increasing from a continual multiplication by \( r \).

\( \{a, \frac{a}{r}, \frac{a}{r^2}, \frac{a}{r^3}, \ldots\} \) decreasing from a continual division by \( r \).

See the articles Fluxions, Geometry, and Series.