If the sum of the first $n$ terms of an A.P is $4 n-n^{2}$, What is the first term? What is the sum of first two terms? What is the second term? Similarly, find the third, the tenth and the $n$th terms.
In the given problem, the sum of n terms of an A.P. is given by the expression,
$S_{n}=4 n-n^{2}$
So here, we can find the first term by substituting,
$S_{n}=4 n-n^{2}$
$S_{1}=4(1)-(1)^{2}$
$=4-1$
$=3$
Similarly, the sum of first two terms can be given by,
$S_{2}=4(2)-(2)^{2}$
$=8-4$
$=4$
Now, as we know,
$a_{n}=S_{n}-S_{n-1}$
So,
$a_{2}=S_{2}-S_{1}$
$=4-3$
$=1$
Now, using the same method we have to find the third, tenth and nth term of the A.P.
So, for the third term,
$a_{3}=S_{3}-S_{2}$
$=\left[4(3)-(3)^{2}\right]-\left[4(2)-(2)^{2}\right]$
$=(12-9)-(8-4)$
$=3-4$
$=-1$
Also, for the tenth term,
$a_{10}=S_{10}-S_{9}$
$=\left[4(10)-(10)^{2}\right]-\left[4(9)-(9)^{2}\right]$
$=(40-100)-(36-81)$
$=-60+45$
$=-15$
So, for the nth term,
$a_{n}=S_{n}-S_{n-1}$
$=\left[4(n)-(n)^{2}\right]-\left[4(n-1)-(n-1)^{2}\right]$
$=\left(4 n-n^{2}\right)-\left(4 n-4-n^{2}-1+2 n\right)$
$=4 n-n^{2}-4 n+4+n^{2}+1-2 n$
$=5-2 n$
Therefore, $a=3, S_{2}=4, a_{2}=1, a_{3}=-1, a_{10}=-15$.