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

Algebra ->  Sequences-and-series -> SOLUTION: hence,prove algebraically that the sum of any two consecutive terms is a perfect square 3;x;10;y;21      Log On


   



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) About Me  (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) 

3=3%2A2%2F2,x=4%2A3%2F2=6,10=5%2A4%2F2,y=6%2A5%2F2=15,21=7%2A6%2F2

So the nth term is %28n%2B2%29%28n%2B1%29%2F2, 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 n%2B2%29%28n%2B3%29%2F2 and 
the (n+1)st term is %28%28+%28+n%2B1+%29%2B2+%29%28+%28+n%2B1+%29%2B3%29%29%2F2 = %28n%2B3%29%28n%2B4%29%2F2

Add them:

%28n%2B2%29%28n%2B3%29%2F2%22%22%2B%22%22%28n%2B3%29%28n%2B4%29%2F2%22%22=%22%22%28%28n%2B2%29%28n%2B3%29%2B%28n%2B3%29%28n%2B4%29%29%2F2%22%22=%22%22
%28+%28n%2B3%29%28%28n%2B2%29%2B%28n%2B4%29%29+%29%2F2%22%22=%22%22+%28n%2B3%29%282n%2B6%29%2F2%22%22=%22%22%28n%2B3%292%28n%2B3%29%2F2%22%22=%22%22%28n%2B3%29%5E2

which is a perfect square.

Edwin