Pascal
Pascal
One of the most interesting Number Patterns is Pascal's Triangle (named after Blaise Pascal, a famous French Mathematician and Philosopher).
To build the triangle, start with "1" at the top, then continue placing numbers below it in a triangular pattern. Each number is just the two numbers above it added together (except for the edges, which are all "1").
(Here I have highlighted that 1+3 = 4)
Horizontal Sums
What do you notice about the horizontal sums? Is there a pattern? Isn't it amazing! It doubles each time (powers of 2).
Exponents of 11
Each line is also the powers (exponents) of 11: 110=1 (the first line is just a "1") 111=11 (the second line is "1" and "1") 112=121 (the third line is "1", "2", "1") etc!
5
But what happens with 11 ? Simple! The digits just overlap, like this:
116 etc.
Fibonacci Sequence
Try this: make a pattern by going up and then along, then add up the values (as illustrated) ... you will get the Fibonacci Sequence. (The Fibonacci Sequence starts "1, 1" and then continues by adding the two previous numbers, for example 3+5=8, then 5+8=13, etc)
Symmetrical
And the triangle is also symmetrical. The numbers on the left side have identical matching numbers on the right side, like a mirror image.
Polynomials
Pascal's Triangle can also show you the coefficients in binomial expansion:
Power
2 3 4
Binomial Expansion
(x + 1)2 = 1x2 + 2x + 1 (x + 1)3 = 1x3 + 3x2 + 3x + 1 (x + 1) = 1x + 4x + 6x + 4x + 1 ... etc ...
4 4 3 2
Pascal's Triangle
1, 2, 1 1, 3, 3, 1 1, 4, 6, 4, 1