Arithmetic Progression

An arithmetic progression (AP) is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is obtained by adding a fixed amount, called the common difference. For example, in the sequence 3, 7, 11, 15, each number increases by 4. This pattern continues consistently, making it predictable. Arithmetic progressions are useful in various real-world contexts, such as calculating evenly spaced payments, estimating distances over uniform steps, or analyzing trends that increase or decrease at a steady rate. The key features are the starting point, the regular difference, and the ability to find any term using these consistent rules.