Geometric Progressions
Regina wants to save for a trip: she will deposit $\$1{,}000$ each month for 2 years into an account that pays interest. Without interest she would save $\$24{,}000$. Why does she end up with more with interest, and how much more? To answer, you need geometric progressions, the mathematical tool behind compound interest.
General term and ratio
The ratio is found by dividing a term by the previous one: $r=\dfrac{a_2}{a_1}$. For example, $3, 6, 12, 24,\dots$ has $r=2$. If $r>1$ the sequence grows, and if $0 Between term $m$ and term $n$ there are $n-m$ multiplications by $r$, so A young content creator on a social network observes that the number of views on his videos is increasing steadily. On the first day he obtained $200$ views, on the second $600$, on the third $1800$, and so on, following a geometric progression.When you aren't given consecutive terms
A young content creator on a social network observes that the number of views on his videos is increasing steadily. On the first day he obtained $200$ views, on the…
Simple interest and compound interest
When you deposit a principal $C$ at an interest rate $i$ (in decimal form, $5\,\%=0.05$), there are two ways to pay the interest.
If interest is compounded several times a year (monthly, every two months, quarterly), the annual (nominal) rate $j$ is divided among the periods: with $m$ periods per year, $i=\dfrac{j}{m}$ and $n=m\cdot(\text{years})$.
A grandfather opens a savings account for his newborn grandson with an initial capital of $40\,000$ pesos. The bank offers simple annual interest of $2.5 \%$. a)…
A grandfather opens a savings account for his newborn grandson with an initial capital of $40\,000$ pesos. The bank offers simple annual interest of $2.5 \%$.
- a) Calculate the interest generated by the account after $10$ years.
- b) What will the total capital accumulated amount to after that period?
A bank offers a compound interest deposit with an annual rate of return of $3 \%$. If we deposit $5000$ pesos and make no further contributions or withdrawals: a) What…
A bank offers a compound interest deposit with an annual rate of return of $3 \%$. If we deposit $5000$ pesos and make no further contributions or withdrawals:
- a) What will the final capital be after $4$ years?
- b) How much money will we have earned solely from interest?
Calculate the final capital obtained by investing $1500$ pesos over $2$ years at annual compound interest of $4 \%$, if the compounding period of interest is monthly…
Calculate the final capital obtained by investing $1500$ pesos over $2$ years at annual compound interest of $4 \%$, if the compounding period of interest is monthly (that is, interest is credited each month).
Growing and shrinking: ratio, depreciation, and inflation
A percent increase $p$ multiplies by $r=1+p$. A percent decrease multiplies by $r=1-p$.
Real and nominal value. If there is annual inflation $\pi$, prices are multiplied by $(1+\pi)$ each year. To express a future value in "today's pesos" (real value), you divide by that factor:
$$V_{\text{real}}=\dfrac{V_{\text{nominal}}}{(1+\pi)^n}$$Due to inflation, rent prices in a youth district of the city have been rising by $4 \%$ each year cumulatively. If the current price of a studio apartment is $13\,000$…
Due to inflation, rent prices in a youth district of the city have been rising by $4 \%$ each year cumulatively. If the current price of a studio apartment is $13\,000$ pesos per month:
- a) What will the rental price be in $3$ years?
- b) Identify the elements of the geometric progression modeling this situation (initial capital $C_0$ and common ratio $r$).
The market value of a video game console model depreciates by $12 \%$ with each passing year. If the launch price is $9\,980$ pesos: a) Write the first three terms of…
The market value of a video game console model depreciates by $12 \%$ with each passing year. If the launch price is $9\,980$ pesos:
- a) Write the first three terms of the sequence of annual prices.
- b) Calculate the value of the console after $5$ years.
An art collector buys a sculpture for $240\,000$ pesos. It is estimated that its value will increase by $8\%$ each year at a constant rate. At the same time, the average…
An art collector buys a sculpture for $240\,000$ pesos. It is estimated that its value will increase by $8\%$ each year at a constant rate. At the same time, the average annual inflation forecast for the coming decade is $2.5\%$.
- a) What will be the nominal value of the sculpture after 10 years?
- b) What will be the real value of the sculpture after those 10 years, expressed in "today's pesos"? To do this, you must deflate the nominal value using the price index derived from inflation (which also follows a geometric progression).
Finding the time period with logarithms
If the unknown is the number of periods, it is in the exponent. The logarithm is the inverse operation of the exponential, so it can be used to "bring it down."
A university student buys a latest-generation laptop for $\$1200$. The value of the computer is estimated to depreciate by $15\,\%…
A university student buys a latest-generation laptop for $\$1200$. The value of the computer is estimated to depreciate by $15\,\%$ each year cumulatively.
- a) What will the value of the computer be after 3 years of use?
- b) How many years must pass for the value of the computer to be less than a quarter of its original price? (Use logarithms for the calculation).
Effective rate and equivalent rate
Two products with the same nominal rate can pay differently if they compound at different frequencies. To compare them, we use the effective annual rate: the real return over a full year. In Mexico, for loans it is reported as the CAT (total annual cost) and for investments as the GAT.
A young woman decides to invest her savings of $\$50\,000$ in a financial product offering an annual compound interest rate of $3.2 \%…
A young woman decides to invest her savings of $\$50\,000$ in a financial product offering an annual compound interest rate of $3.2 \%$.
- a) What will the final capital be if interest is compounded annually over 6 years?
- b) What would the difference be if compounding were monthly instead of annual for that same period of time?
An investor analyses two different savings accounts: Account A: Offers an annual interest rate of $4 \%$ with quarterly compounding. Account B: Offers an annual interest…
An investor analyses two different savings accounts:
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Account A: Offers an annual interest rate of $4 \%$ with quarterly compounding.
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Account B: Offers an annual interest rate of $4.05 \%$ with annual compounding.
Determine, giving reasons and calculating the Annual Equivalent Rate (AER / TAE) for Account A, which of the two options is more beneficial for the investor.
We compare two investment products for a capital of $200\,000$ pesos over 4 years: Product A: Annual compound interest of $5\%$. Product B: Nominal annual interest of…
We compare two investment products for a capital of $200\,000$ pesos over 4 years:
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Product A: Annual compound interest of $5\%$.
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Product B: Nominal annual interest of $4.8\%$ with monthly compounding of interest.
Determine which of the two products is more profitable by calculating the Annual Equivalent Rate (AER / TAE) of each. Explain why, even though Product B has a lower nominal interest rate, the compounding frequency influences the final outcome.
Sum of the terms of a geometric progression
Infinite sum. If $|r|<1$, the terms get smaller and smaller and the sum of all of them approaches a fixed value:
$$S=\frac{a_1}{1-r}$$If $|r|\ge1$, the terms do not get small and the infinite sum does not exist as a number.
To buy an electric bicycle, a student decides to do the "weekly savings challenge": she saves money every week such that each deposit is double the previous one. The…
To buy an electric bicycle, a student decides to do the "weekly savings challenge": she saves money every week such that each deposit is double the previous one. The first week she saves $40$ pesos, the second $80$ pesos, the third $160$ pesos, and so on.
- a) Write the general term $a_n$ of this progression.
- b) Use the sum formula for a geometric progression to find out how much money she will have accumulated in total after $8$ weeks.
Given the geometric progression defined by the terms $a_2 = 12$ and $a_5 = 324$: a) Find the common ratio $r$ and the first term $a_1$. b) Calculate the sum of the first…
Given the geometric progression defined by the terms $a_2 = 12$ and $a_5 = 324$:
- a) Find the common ratio $r$ and the first term $a_1$.
- b) Calculate the sum of the first 10 terms of the progression.
- c) Would it be possible to calculate the sum of its infinite terms? Justify your answer.
A ball is dropped from an initial height of $10$ meters. On each bounce, the ball reaches a height equal to $2/3$ of the height of the previous bounce. a) What height…
A ball is dropped from an initial height of $10$ meters. On each bounce, the ball reaches a height equal to $2/3$ of the height of the previous bounce.
- a) What height will it reach after the sixth bounce?
- b) Calculate the total distance traveled by the ball (upwards and downwards) until it theoretically comes to a stop. Use the sum formula for an infinite decreasing geometric progression, taking into account that, except for the initial drop, all paths are traveled twice (upwards and downwards).
Saving with periodic deposits
If you deposit the same amount $a$ each period, each deposit earns interest for a different number of periods. The total is the sum of a geometric progression.
If what you know is the goal $M$ and you are looking for the deposit, solve for it: $a=\dfrac{M\,i}{(1+i)\left[(1+i)^n-1\right]}$.
Back to the beginning: Regina deposits $\$1{,}000$ at the start of each month for 24 months, at a $6\,\%$ nominal annual rate compounded monthly. With $i=\frac{0.06}{12}=0.005$ per month and $n=24$: $M=1{,}000\cdot1.005\cdot\dfrac{1.12716-1}{0.005}\approx\$25{,}559$. She saves about $\$1{,}559$ more than the $\$24{,}000$ deposited: that is the interest.
An 18-year-old wants to build up a fund of $\$3\,000\,000…
An 18-year-old wants to build up a fund of $\$3\,000\,000$ in 20 years' time, when she turns 38, for a house deposit and to start her own business. If the financial institution guarantees her an average annual interest rate of $3.5 \%$ compounded annually:
What fixed amount should she deposit at the beginning of each year to achieve her goal?
A young entrepreneur decides to open a savings account to finance her sustainable clothing brand project in 5 years' time. To do so, she commits to depositing $150$…
A young entrepreneur decides to open a savings account to finance her sustainable clothing brand project in 5 years' time. To do so, she commits to depositing $150$ pesos at the beginning of each month. The bank offers her a nominal annual interest rate of $4.5\%$, with monthly compounding of interest.
Calculate the total capital she will have accumulated at the end of the 5 years. To solve this, you must first find the equivalent monthly interest rate and apply the formula for the sum of the terms of a geometric progression (sinking fund annuity).
Loans and present value
In a loan, the bank gives you a principal $C$ today and you pay $P$ at the end of each period. The principal is the present value of all the payments: each payment is discounted by dividing it by $(1+i)^k$.
Loan balance. What you owe after making $k$ payments is the present value of the remaining payments.
A fund to pay a monthly annuity is the same calculation: the principal you need at the start is the present value of all the payments.
A small entrepreneur applies for a loan of $\$300\,000$ to purchase machinery. The bank grants the loan at an annual interest rate of $5.5 \%…
A small entrepreneur applies for a loan of $\$300\,000$ to purchase machinery. The bank grants the loan at an annual interest rate of $5.5 \%$, which must be repaid in equal monthly instalments over 4 years.
- a) Calculate the amount of the monthly instalment to be paid.
- b) What will the total interest paid amount to by the end of the loan?
A family applies for a mortgage loan of $3\,600\,000$ pesos to be repaid over 20 years through constant monthly instalments (French amortisation system). The bank…
A family applies for a mortgage loan of $3\,600\,000$ pesos to be repaid over 20 years through constant monthly instalments (French amortisation system). The bank charges annual interest of $3.25\%$. However, the contract includes a "partial interest-only" clause during the first two years, in which the family will only pay the interest accrued, without repaying any principal capital.
- a) Calculate the monthly instalment that the family will pay during the first two years (grace period).
- b) Calculate the monthly instalment they must pay from the third year onwards until the end of the loan. Take into account that at that point the outstanding principal is still the initial amount, but the remaining time has decreased.
A municipality wants to upgrade its street lighting systems to save energy. The cost of the work is $30\,000\,000$ pesos. To pay for it, it takes out a loan at $2.8\%$…
A municipality wants to upgrade its street lighting systems to save energy. The cost of the work is $30\,000\,000$ pesos. To pay for it, it takes out a loan at $2.8\%$ annual interest, which it will repay through 10 equal annual installments.
After paying the fifth installment, the municipality receives a government grant and decides to pay off the outstanding debt in a single payment. Calculate how much money the municipality must pay out at that time to settle the loan completely.
Marta's grandparents want to set up a fund to pay for her university studies. Their goal is for her to receive a monthly income of $10\,000$ pesos for $4$ years while…
Marta's grandparents want to set up a fund to pay for her university studies. Their goal is for her to receive a monthly income of $10\,000$ pesos for $4$ years while studying away from home. Assuming that the bank guarantees them annual compound interest of $3\%$ throughout that entire period (the annuity payout period):
- a) How much capital should they have accumulated when Marta starts university to be able to pay that monthly income? (Hint: Treat this problem as finding the principal of a loan where the monthly instalment is the income she receives).
- b) If there are still $10$ years before Marta starts university and they currently have no savings, what fixed monthly amount should they deposit into a savings account offering $4\%$ annual interest in order to accumulate the capital calculated in the previous part?