Abstract: - This paper is a brief discussion about Pascal’s triangle and the patterns found within it. Pascal’s triangle is a very famous construction, that many students have learned about. What is less talked about though is the patterns found within Pascal’s triangle, including number and geometrical patterns. The patterns discussed in this report are combinations, binomial expansion coefficients, polygonal numbers, and the Fibonacci sequence.
Key-Words: - Pascal, Pascal’s triangle, triangular numbers, binomial expansion
1 Introduction
Pascal’s triangle is one of the most famous mathematical patterns, known to most students. Pascal’s triangle is a sequence of numbers, arranged in rows that form a triangle, with the following properties:
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Many different patterns can be found in Pascal’s triangles, including both number patterns as well as geometrical patterns, and this report will discuss a few of these number patterns.
2 History
This triangle is most commonly known as Pascal’s triangle in America, after the French mathematician Blaise Pascal, who wrote about it in 1653. Although Pascal investigated this triangle thoroughly, he was not the discoverer of this triangle. Many other mathematicians have described this triangle, such as Al-Karaji in Persia around 980, Jia Xian in China in the 11th century, Yang Hui in China in the 13th century, and more [6]. Thus, around the world, Pascal’s triangle has various names, named after the other mathematicians. This type of misattribution is unfortunately common in mathematics and science.
3 Common Usage
Two of the most common usages in modern schools, is using the relationship between Pascal’s triangle and binomial coefficients, and combinations. Students often use Pascal’s triangle, to easily find the coefficients of binomial expansion, or the solutions to counting principles including combinations, by writing out the triangle. Since the construction of the triangle is easy, requiring only sums, students can easily use it to find these numbers, instead of using the
On the second day of class, the Professor Judit Kerekes developed a short chart of the Xmania system and briefly explained how students would experience a number problem. Professor Kerekes invented letters to name the quantities such as “A” for one box, “B” for two boxes. “C” is for three boxes, “D” is for four boxes and “E” is for five boxes. This chart confused me because I wasn’t too familiar with this system. One thing that generated a lot of excitement for me was when she used huge foam blocks shaped as dice. A student threw two blocks across the room and identified the symbol “0”, “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, and “E.” To everyone’s amazement, we had fun practicing the Xmania system and learned as each table took turns trying to work out problems.
It is said that when history looks upon the life of an individual when their time has passed; it is not the dates on the tombstone that define the man but the dash in between. Such was the case in the life of theologian, philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal. Pascal was born on the 19th of June 1623, in Clermont-Ferrand France and died at the age of 39 of tuberculosis on the 19th August 1662 in Paris, but the bulk of his career, his success and life achievement began in his early years. As a young boy, Pascal’s lost his mother and soon afterward his father moved the family, Blaise and his two sisters to Paris. Pascal’s father, Étienne Pascal was a mathematician himself and taught Pascal Latin and Greek, which at the time was considered
Blaise Pascal was born on June 19, 1623. Pascal was a mathematician along with a Christian philosopher who wrote the Pensees which included his work called Pascal’s wager. The crucial outline of this wagers was that it cannot be proved or disprove that God does exists. There are four main parts to the wager that include his reasoning to that statement. It has been acknowledged that Pascal makes it clear that he is referring to the Christian God in his wager. This is the Christian God that promises his people will be rewarded with eternal life along with infinite bliss.
Fibonacci was born in approximately 1175 AD with the birth name of Leonardo in Pisa, Italy. During his life he went by many names, but Leonardo was the one constant. Very little is known of his early life, and what is known is only found through his works. Leonardo’s history begins with his father’s reassignment to North Africa, and that is where Fibonacci’s mathematical journey begins. His father, Guilielmo, was an Italian man who worked as a secretary for the Republic of Pisa. When reassigned to Algeria in about 1192, he took his son Leonardo with him. This is where Leonardo first learned of arithmetic, and was interested in the “Hindu-Arabic” numerical style (St. Andrews, Biography). In 1200 Leonardo ended his travels around the Mediterranean and returned to Pisa. Two years later he published his first book. Liber Abaci, meaning “The Book of Calculations”.
While the studies at Governor’s School are noticeably more advanced and require more effort than at regular public schools, I see this rigor as the key to my academic success. For me, the classes I take that constantly introduce new thoughts that test my capability to “think outside the box”, are the ones that capture all my attention and interest. For example, while working with the Sierpinski Triangle at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth geometry camp, I was struck with a strong determination to figure out the secret to the pattern. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the Sierpinski Triangle is “a fractal based on a triangle with four equal triangles inscribed in it. The central triangle is removed and each of the other three treated as the original was, and so on, creating an infinite regression in a finite space.” By constructing a table with the number black and white triangles in each figure, I realized that it was easier to see the relations between the numbers. At Governor’s School, I expect to be provided with stimulating concepts in order to challenge my exceptional thinking.
Logarithms have the ability to replace a geometric sequence with an arithmetic sequence because they raise a base number by an exponent. A simple example can be provided with a geome...
In mathematics, Pascal’s triangle is taught everywhere throughout schools. He also started probability theory that many if not all mathematicians today use. Pascal even changed science by his experiments on atmospheric pressure and later had units of pressure named after him for his study. Pascal also, has a law in physics named after him. His inventions were just as impactful. Pascal created one of the first digital calculators. Pascal also invented the core principles of the roulette machine when study a perpetual motion theory.
plane disappearances on the Triangle. There is also a theory by Ivan T. Sanderson that describes 12
The recursive sequence of numbers that bear his name is a discovery for which Fibonacci is popularly known. While it brought him little recognition during the course of his life, is was nearly 100 years later when the majority of the mathematicians recognized and appreciated his invention. This fascinating and unique study of recursive numbers possess all sorts of intriguing properties that can be discovered by applying different mathematical procedures to a set of numbers in a given sequence. The recursive / Fibonacci numbers are present in everyday life and they are manifested in the everyday life in which we live. The formed patterns perplex and astonish the minds in real world perspectives. The recursive sequences are beautiful to study and much of their beauty falls in nature. They highlight the mathematical complexity and the incredible order of the world that we live in and this gives a clear view of the algorithm that God used to create some of these organisms and plants. Such patterns seem not have been evolved by accident but rather, they seem to have evolved by the work of God who created both heaven and
Born in the Netherlands, Daniel Bernoulli was one of the most well-known Bernoulli mathematicians. He contributed plenty to mathematics and advanced it, ahead of its time. His father, Johann, made him study medicine at first, as there was little money in mathematics, but eventually, Johann gave in and tutored Daniel in mathematics. Johann treated his son’s desire to lea...
-The Eiffel Tower is made out of many triangles some very small and some very big.
Pascal's Triangle Blasé Pacal was born in France in 1623. He was a child prodigy and was fascinated by mathematics. When Pascal was 19 he invented the first calculating machine that actually worked. Many other people had tried to do the same but did not succeed. One of the topics that deeply interested him was the likelihood of an event happening (probability). This interest came to Pascal from a gambler who asked him to help him make a better guess so he could make an educated guess. In the coarse of his investigations he produced a triangular pattern that is named after him. The pattern was known at least three hundred years before Pascal had discover it. The Chinese were the first to discover it but it was fully developed by Pascal (Ladja , 2). Pascal's triangle is a triangluar arrangement of rows. Each row except the first row begins and ends with the number 1 written diagonally. The first row only has one number which is 1. Beginning with the second row, each number is the sum of the number written just above it to the right and the left. The numbers are placed midway between the numbers of the row directly above it. If you flip 1 coin the possibilities are 1 heads (H) or 1 tails (T). This combination of 1 and 1 is the firs row of Pascal's Triangle. If you flip the coin twice you will get a few different results as I will show below (Ladja, 3): Let's say you have the polynomial x+1, and you want to raise it to some powers, like 1,2,3,4,5,.... If you make a chart of what you get when you do these power-raisins, you'll get something like this (Dr. Math, 3): (x+1)^0 = 1 (x+1)^1 = 1 + x (x+1)^2 = 1 + 2x + x^2 (x+1)^3 = 1 + 3x + 3x^2 + x^3 (x+1)^4 = 1 + 4x + 6x^2 + 4x^3 + x^4 (x+1)^5 = 1 + 5x + 10x^2 + 10x^3 + 5x^4 + x^5 ..... If you just look at the coefficients of the polynomials that you get, you'll see Pascal's Triangle! Because of this connection, the entries in Pascal's Triangle are called the binomial coefficients.There's a pretty simple formula for figuring out the binomial coefficients (Dr. Math, 4): n! [n:k] = -------- k! (n-k)! 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 For example, [6:3] = ------------------------ = 20.
The 17th Century saw Napier, Briggs and others greatly extend the power of mathematics as a calculator science with his discovery of logarithms. Cavalieri made progress towards the calculus with his infinitesimal methods and Descartes added the power of algebraic methods to geometry. Euclid, who lived around 300 BC in Alexandria, first stated his five postulates in his book The Elements that forms the base for all of his later Abu Abd-Allah ibn Musa al’Khwarizmi, was born abo...
The Golden Rectangle is a unique and important shape in mathematics. The Golden Rectangle appears in nature, music, and is often used in art and architecture. Some thing special about the golden rectangle is that the length to the width equals approximately 1.618……
The man behind the Fibonacci numbers, Leonardo Fibonacci, was born in Pisa in 1175 A.D. During his life, he was a customs officer in Africa and businessman who traveled to various places. During these trips he gained knowledge and skills which enabled him to be recognized by Emperor Fredrick II. Fredrick II noticed Fibonacci and ordered him to take part in a mathematical tournament. This place would eventuall...