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Problem Solving Lecture Series 2 1

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Problem Solving Lecture Series 2 1

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Mathematics in the Modern World – Problem Solving 1

Part III. Problem Solving

2. Problem Solving with Patterns

Sequences. A sequence is an ordered list of numbers. Each number in a sequence is called a term
of the sequence. The notation 𝑎𝑛 is used to designate the 𝑛th term of a sequence. A formula that can be
used to generate all the terms of a sequence is called an nth-term formula. Our task is to answer possible
questions like, what is the next term? What formula or rule can be used to generate the terms? To answer,
we often construct a difference table, which shows the difference between successive terms of the
sequence. The difference between the first and second terms (and so on) in the original sequence is called
first differences of the sequence. The differences of the first differences are called the second differences.
The differences of the second differences are called the third differences. To predict the next term of a
sequence, we often look for a pattern in a row of the differences.

Example 1. Use a difference table to predict the next term in the sequence.
2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, …

Solution: Construct a difference table as shown below.


sequence 2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, …

first difference 5 17 35 59 89

second difference 12 18 24 30 36

third difference 6 6 6 6

The third differences are all the same constant, 6. Extending the third difference so that it includes
another 6 enables us to predict that the next second difference will be 36. Adding 36 to the first difference
89 gives us the next difference, 125. Adding 125 to the sixth term 207 yields 332. Using the method of
extending the difference table, we predict that 332 is the next term in the sequence.

Exercises A. Use a difference table to predict the next term in the sequence. 1, 14, 51, 124, 245, 426, …

Important: For additional information, visit: https://mathigon.org/course/sequences/introduction


https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/sequences/introduction-to-arithmetic-
squences/v/arithmetic-sequences

Fibonacci sequence. Let 𝐹𝑛 represent the nth Fibonacci number. Then the terms in the Fibonacci
sequence are given by the recursive definition:
𝐹1 = 1, 𝐹2 = 1, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑛 = 𝐹𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝑛−2 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛 ≥ 3

Example 2. Use the definition of Fibonacci numbers to find the seventh and eighth Fibonacci numbers.

Solution: The first six Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. The seventh Fibonacci number is the sum of
the two previous Fibonacci numbers. Thus, 𝐹7 = 𝐹6 + 𝐹5 = 8 + 5 = 13. The eighth Fibonacci number is
𝐹8 = 𝐹7 + 𝐹6 = 13 + 8 = 21

Exercise B. Use the definition of Fibonacci numbers to find the 10 th and 11th Fibonacci numbers.

Problem Set
A. Construct a difference table to predict the next term of each sequence.
1. 10, 10, 12, 16, 22, 30, …
2. -1, 4, 21, 56, 115, 204, …
3. 17, 15, 25, 53, 105, 187, …

B. Use the given nth-term formula to compute for the first five terms of the sequence.
Ciriaco T. Ragual, 2nd Semester, AY 2018-2019
Mathematics in the Modern World – Problem Solving 2

𝑛(2𝑛+1)
4. 𝑎𝑛 =
2
𝑛
5. 𝑎𝑛 =
𝑛+1
C. Determine the nth-term formula for the number of square tiles in the nth figure.
6.

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5

D. Pieces and Cuts.


7. One straight cut across a pizza produces 2 pieces. Two cuts can produce a maximum of 4 pieces. Three
cuts can produce a maximum of 7 pieces. Four cuts can produce a maximum of 11 pieces.
a. Use a difference table to predict the maximum number of pieces that can be produced with seven cuts.
b. How are the pizza-slicing numbers related to the triangular numbers, which are defined by
𝑛(𝑛 + 1)
𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑛 = ?
2
A Famous Puzzle
The Tower of Hanoi is a puzzle invented by Edouard Lucas in 1883. The puzzle consists of three
pegs and a number of disks of distinct diameters stacked on one of the pegs such that the largest disk is
on the bottom, the next largest is placed on the largest disk, and so on.
The object of the puzzle is to transfer the tower to one of the other pegs. The rules require that
only one disk be moved at a time and that a larger disk may not be placed on a smaller disk. All pegs may
be used.
Determine the minimum number of moves required to transfer all of the disks to another peg for
each of the following situations:
a. You start with only one disk.
b. You start with two disks.
c. You start with three disks. (Note: You can use the puzzle assigned to you. There are samples
that I will assigned to you. )
d. You start with four disks.
e. You start with five disks.
f. You start with 𝑛 disks.

3. Problem Solving Strategies


To follow soon.

Ciriaco T. Ragual, 2nd Semester, AY 2018-2019

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