geometric progression

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a sequence of terms in which the ratio between any two successive terms is the same, as the progression 1, 3, 9, 27, 81 or 144, 12, 1, 1/12, 1/144.

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geometric progression British  

noun

1. a sequence of numbers, each of which differs from the succeeding one by a constant ratio, as 1, 2, 4, 8, … Compare arithmetic progression

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geometric progression Scientific  

1. A sequence of numbers in which each number is multiplied by the same factor to obtain the next number in the sequence. In a geometric progression, the ratio of any two adjacent numbers is the same. An example is 5, 25, 125, 625, … , where each number is multiplied by 5 to obtain the following number, and the ratio of any number to the next number is always 1 to 5.

2. Compare arithmetic progression

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geometric progression Cultural  

1. In mathematics, a sequence of numbers in which each number is obtained from the previous one by multiplying by a constant. For example, the sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 … (in which each number is multiplied by 2 to get the next one) is a geometric progression.

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Discover More

Many processes involving growth and spreading, such as population increases, can be described as geometric progressions.

Etymology

Origin of geometric progression

First recorded in 1550–60

Example Sentences

That year, once she got three-quarters of the way through “The Luminaries,” she realized there was something mathematical going on: The chapters displayed a geometric progression, halving in length one to the next.

From New York Times

But the infection picks up steam, spreading according to a geometric progression, producing a steeply rising “death graph.”

From Los Angeles Times

For this, the company was “inspired by classic geometric progression, which can be seen from so many classic art forms, such the ancient Hindu symbol, the mandala, and the famous ancient Greek temple.”

From The Verge

Of all the ideas we’ve forgotten from math class, the most important to relearn — because it illuminates our most urgent challenges — is the difference between arithmetic and geometric progressions.

From Washington Post

The same-sex marriage movement also inspired Cashin, as it represented “geometric progression.”

From Salon