Growing Squares

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Growing Squares

I have decided to find a formula to find the nth term. To help me find

the nth term I shall compose a table including all the results I know.

Pattern Number

Number of Squares

1st Difference

2nd Difference

1

1

4

4

2

5

8

3

13

4

12

4

25

The 2nd difference is constant; therefore the equations will be

quadratic. The general formula for a quadratic equation is an2 + bn

+c. The coefficient of n2 is half that of the second difference

Therefore so far my formula is: 2n2 + [extra bit]

I will now attempt to find the extra bit for this formula.

Pattern Number

Extra Bit

1st Difference

2nd Difference

1

2

6

4

2

8

10

3

18

4

14

4

32

From my table of results I have found the formula to be 2n2 + 2n + 1

I will now check my formula by substituting a value from the table in

to my formula:

E.g. n = 2

Un = 2 (2) 2 - 2 (2) + 1 = 8.

For Diagrams 1 - 4 I can see a pattern with square numbers. The

diagrams numbers squared added to one less than the diagram number

squared gives the correct number of squares.

For diagram n it should be:

Un = (n - 1) 2 + n2

(n - 1)(n - 1) + n2

n2 - n - n - n + 1 + n

Un = 2n2 - 2n + 1

This is correct.

Growing Hexagons

I will now repeat my investigation, and change the original shape of

the square to hexagons, and try to find the formula as before.

I shall start by finding the

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