Number Sequences

February 20, 2011

For each of the sequence below,

nd the pattern and continue the sequence with the next

few terms:
(a)
2, 5, 8, 11, 14,
,
,
,
:::
(b)
0, 3, 8, 15, 24,
,
,
,
:::
(c)
1, 2, 4, 8, 16,
,
,
,
:::
(d)
2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42,
,
,
,
:::
(e)
3, 7, 13, 21, 31, 43,
,
,
,
:::
(f)
4, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28,
,
,
,
:::
(g)
4, 11, 30, 67, 128
,
,
,
:::
(h)
1, 2, 6, 24,

,
,
,
:::
(i)
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
,
,
,
:::
(j)
1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221, 312211,
,
,
,
:::
(k)
1, 4, 27, 256,
,
:::
(l)
6, 10, 14, 15, 21, 22, 26,
,
,
,
:::
(m)
1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47,
,
,
,
:::
1
A
triangle number
is any number of stones that can be arranged into a triangle. The

rst three triangle numbers are 1, 3, and 6, as shown here:

1.
Draw arrangements of dots that represent the fourth,

fth, and sixth triangle numbers:

2.
Continue the sequence of triangle numbers:
1, 3, 6,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
:::
3.
Now, below the triangle number sequence, list the sequence you get by subtracting
consecutive terms: (For instance, the

rst two are 2 (= 3

1) and 3 (= 6
3).) Draw
a picture to explain what's going on.
1, 3, 6,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
:::
2, 3,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
:::
4.
Now rewrite the triangle number sequence, and this time below it list the sequence you
get by
adding
each pair of neighboring numbers. Draw another picture that explains
what's going on here.
1, 3, 6,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
:::
2