1.4 Atlehang generates a sequence, which he claims that the sequence can be arithmetic and also be geometric if and only if the first term in the sequence I. Is he correct? Motivate your answer by showing all your calculations
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Atlehang's claim is interesting! Let's dissect it. In an arithmetic sequence, each term increases by a constant difference \(d\), while in a geometric sequence, each term is multiplied by a constant ratio \(r\). If the first term is \(a_1 = 1\), the \(n\)th term of the arithmetic sequence can be expressed as \(a_n = 1 + (n-1)d\) and for the geometric sequence as \(g_n = 1 \cdot r^{(n-1)}\). The condition that a sequence is both arithmetic and geometric means that the terms must satisfy both definitions simultaneously. The only set of numbers that can be constant differences and constant ratios would be the sequence where every term is equal to 1 (like 1, 1, 1). Therefore, the claim holds true only under very specific conditions where all terms equal the first term (which is 1). In essence, while the first term being 1 is a necessary condition for a sequence to be both arithmetic and geometric, it is not sufficient for any arbitrary sequence. Hence, Atlehang's claim is partially correct but lacks clarity for broader cases!