p(1) = 1,000
p(n) = 1.05 * p(n - 1)

    1     1000.00    6     1276.28   11     1628.89   16     2078.93
    2     1050.00    7     1340.10   12     1710.34   17     2182.87
    3     1102.50    8     1407.10   13     1795.86   18     2292.02
    4     1157.62    9     1477.46   14     1885.65   19     2406.62
    5     1215.51   10     1551.33   15     1979.93   20     2526.95


p(1) = 1,000
p(n) = 1.01 * p(n - 1)

    1     1000.00    6     1051.01   11     1104.62   16     1160.97
    2     1010.00    7     1061.52   12     1115.67   17     1172.58
    3     1020.10    8     1072.14   13     1126.83   18     1184.30
    4     1030.30    9     1082.86   14     1138.09   19     1196.15
    5     1040.60   10     1093.69   15     1149.47   20     1208.11


p(1) = 1,000
p(n) = 0.95 * p(n - 1)

    1     1000.00    6      773.78   11      598.74   16      463.29
    2      950.00    7      735.09   12      568.80   17      440.13
    3      902.50    8      698.34   13      540.36   18      418.12
    4      857.37    9      663.42   14      513.34   19      397.21
    5      814.51   10      630.25   15      487.67   20      377.35


p(1) = 1,000
p(n) = 0.99 * p(n - 1)

    1     1000.00    6      950.99   11      904.38   16      860.06
    2      990.00    7      941.48   12      895.34   17      851.46
    3      980.10    8      932.07   13      886.38   18      842.94
    4      970.30    9      922.74   14      877.52   19      834.51
    5      960.60   10      913.52   15      868.75   20      826.17

Notice that when R is greater than one the population is increasing. The larger R is the faster the population increases.

When R is less than one the population is decreasing and the smaller R is the faster the population decreases.


Copyright c 1995 by PWS Publishing Company, a division of International Thomson Publishing Inc. Comments to Frank Wattenberg, Department of Mathematics, Carroll College, Helena, MT 59625.