Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Summation Notation
Summation notation is a mathematical shorthand used to represent the sum of a sequence of terms. It typically uses the Greek letter sigma (Σ) to denote the sum, with an index of summation that indicates the starting and ending values. For example, Σ from k=0 to n of f(k) represents the sum of f(k) for each integer k from 0 to n.
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Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers in which the difference between consecutive terms is constant. This difference is known as the common difference (d). In the given expression, the terms a, a+d, a+2d, ..., a+nd form an arithmetic sequence where 'a' is the first term and 'd' is the common difference.
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Index of Summation
The index of summation is a variable used to represent the position of each term in a summation. In this case, 'k' serves as the index, allowing us to express the terms of the sequence in a compact form. The index typically starts at a specified lower limit and increments by 1 until it reaches an upper limit, facilitating the calculation of the total sum.
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