Answer:
46
Step-by-step explanation:
The n th term of an AP is
[tex]a_{n}[/tex] = a₁ + (n - 1)d
where a₁ is the first term and d the common difference
Here d = - 3 and [tex]a_{18}[/tex] = - 5 , thus
a₁ + (17 × - 3) = - 5
a₁ - 51 = - 5 ( add 51 to both sides )
a₁ = 46
