SOLUTION: hence,prove algebraically that the sum of any two consecutive terms is a perfect square 3;x;10;y;21

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Question 841301: hence,prove algebraically that the sum of any two consecutive terms is a perfect square 3;x;10;y;21
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20056)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You start your question with "hence", so we cannot be sure
what went before that, and how you are supposed to come up
with x and y.  I observe that the three numbers given 3,10,21 
appear in Pascal's triangle 
      
              1
            1   1
          1   2   1
        1   3    3   1
      1   4   6   4   1
    1   5   10  10   5   1
  1   6  15  20  15   6   1
1   7   21  35  35  21   7   1

Pascal's triangle is composed of binomial coefficients which 
are combinations: 

3 = C(3,2), 10 = C(5,2), 21 = C(7,2)

So I assume that the sequence 3,x,10,y,21 is this sequence:

3=C(3,2), x=C(4,2), 10=C(5,2), y=C(6,2), 21=C(7,2) 

,,,,

So the nth term is , and they are called
"triangular" numbers, because they are the numbers of dots 
that can be formed into a triangular arraylike this:                                                         .
                                              .               . .
                              .              . .             . . .
                .            . .            . . .           . . . .
     .         . .          . . .          . . . .         . . . . .
3 = . .   6 = . . .,  10 = . . . .,  15 = . . . . ., 21 = . . . . . .

We need to prove that the sum of any two consecutive terms of this sequence
3,6,10,15,21,... is a perfect square.  We can see that 3+6=9=3², 6+10=16=4²,
10+15=25=5², 15+21=36=6².  We need to prove this in general:

Proof:

the nth term is  and 
the (n+1)st term is  = 

Add them:




which is a perfect square.

Edwin

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