The Lazy Caterer's Sequence, $f(n)$, describes the maximum number of pieces a circular pizza can be divided into with an increasing number of cuts, $n$. Clearly $f(0)=1$, $f(1)=2$ and $f(2)=4$). For $n=3$, $f(3) = 7$ (the maximum number of pieces are formed if the cuts do not intersect at a common point). It can be shown that the general recursion formula, $$ f(n) = f(n-1) + n, $$ applies. Although there is a closed form for this sequence, $f(n) = \frac{1}{2}(n^2 + n + 2)$, we could also define a function to grow a list of consecutive values in the sequence:
>>> def f(seq):
... seq.append(seq[-1] + n)
...
>>> seq = [1] # f(0) = 1
>>> for n in range(1,16):
... f(seq)
...
>>> print(seq)
[1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, 22, 29, 37, 46, 56, 67, 79, 92, 106, 121]
The list seq is mutable and so grows in place each time the function f() is called. The n referred to within this function is the name found in global scope (the for loop counter).