Problem of the Week

Problem B and Solution

Nesting Triangles
Problem
The Sierpinski triangle is a famous example of a fractal.
Starting with a black equilateral triangle, an equilateral triangle void (shown as a white
triangle in the second diagram) one-fourth the size of the black triangle is placed symmetrically
inside the black triangle.
This process is then repeated in each of the remaining three black equilateral triangles,
creating the third diagram. And so on, repeatedly.

How many voids (white triangles) exist in the sixth Sierpinski diagram?
How many black triangles?

Solution
Careful observation and counting reveals the following patterns.
Each successive Sierpinski triangle has 3 times as many black triangles as the
previous Sierpinski triangle, but they are one-fourth the size.
From the third triangle onward, each Sierpinski triangle has an additional
number of white triangles equal to 3 times the number of white triangles which
were added to the previous Sierpinski triangle, but they are one-fourth the size.
We summarize these observations numerically in the table below.
Triangle No.

White 4s

1 + 3 1 + 3 + (3 3) 1 + 3 + (3 3) + (3 3 3)

Black 4s

33

333

3333

Following these patterns, in the sixth Sierpinski Triangle, there will be

1 + 3 + (3 3) + (3 3 3) + (3 3 3 3) = 121 white triangles,
and 3 3 3 3 3 = 243 black triangles.
Note: Try using 12 -inch grid paper to construct the 6th and 7th triangles.