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Pascal Work PDF
Pascal Work PDF
Pascal Work PDF
1 1 1 1
1
1 1 1 1
1 2 3 4
1 2 3
L4 = 1 1
U4 =
.
S4 =
1 3 6 10
1 2 1
1 3
1 4 10 20
1 3 3 1
1
We mention first a very specific fact: The determinant of every Sn is 1.
(If we emphasized det Ln = 1 and det Un = 1, you would write to the Editor.
Too special !) Determinants are often a surface reflection of a deeper property
within the matrix. That is true here, and the connection between the three
matrices is quickly revealed. It holds for every n:
S equals L times U
and then (det S) = (det L)(det U ) = 1 .
This identity S = LU is an instance of one of the four great matrix
factorizations of linear algebra [10]:
1
Mobius group. At the same time S, L, and U arise in the multipole method
one of the top ten algorithms of the
P20th century, which has tremendously
speeded up the evaluation of sums
ak /(x rk ).
You see that the urge to generalize is truly irresistible! We hereby promise
not to let it overwhelm this short paper. Our purpose is only to look at Pascals triangle from four different directionsidentities, graphs, recursions,
and functions. Pascal matrices led to several Worked Examples in the new
textbook [10], and this paper is on the course web page web.mit.edu/18.06/.
6
6
6
6
6
6
b0
a0
a1
a2
b2
6
b1
a3
b3
6
6
6
6
6
6
b0
a0
a1
a2
b2
6
b1
a3
1
1
1
1 1
0 1
1 1
=
EL4 =
1 1
1 2 1
0 1
1 3 3 1
0 1
1 1
= 1 0 . (3)
0 L3
1
2 1
1
1
1
1 1
x 1 + x
2 =
Lv =
(6)
1 2 1
x (1 + x)2
1
p 1
and Lp Lq = Lp+q .
Lp =
(7)
p2 2p 1
p3 3p2 3p 1
For all matrix sizes n = 1, 2, . . . , the powers Lp are a representation of the
groups Z and R (integer p and real p). The inverse matrix L1 has the same
form with p = 1. Call and Velleman [2] found L1 which is DLD1 :
1
1
1
1
1
1
= 1
1 1
1
L1 =
1 2
1 2 1
1
1
1
1
3 3
1
1
1 3 3 1
1
(8)
Lp has the exponential form eAp and we can compute A = log L:
Lp I
eAp I
1 0
.
= lim
=
(9)
A = lim
0 2 0
p0
p0
p
p
0 0 3 0
7
Pascal Eigenvalues
A brief comment about eigenvalues can come before Proof 4 of S = LU .
The eigenvalues of L and U are their diagonal entries, all 1s. Transposing
L1 = DLD1 in equation (8) leads to U 1 = DU D1 . So L and U are
similar to their inverses (and matrices are always similar to their transposes).
It is more remarkable that S 1 is similar to S. The eigenvalues of S
must come in reciprocal pairs and 1/, since similar matrices have the same
eigenvalues:
S 1 = U 1 L1 = DU D1 DLD1
= (DU )(LU )(U 1 D1 ) = (DU )S(DU )1 .
(10)
The eigenvalues
of the 3 by 3 symmetric Pascal matrix are 1 = 4 + 15
and 2 = 4 15 and 3 = 1. Then 1 2 = 1 gives a reciprocal pair, and
3 = 1 is self-reciprocal. The references in Highams excellent book [5], and
help pascal in MATLAB, lead to other properties of S = pascal(n).
1 1 1 1
1
1/(1 x)
1 2 3 4 x 1/(1 x)2
Sv =
(11)
1 3 6 10 x3 = 1/(1 x)4 .
1 4 10 20 x 1/(1 x)
The same result should come from LU v . The first step U v has extra powers
of x because the rows have been shifted:
1 1 1 1
1
1/(1 x)
0 1 2 3 x x/(1 x)2
2 2
x = x /(1 x)3 .
0
0
1
3
Uv =
(12)
0 0 0 1 x3 x3 /(1 x)4
L(U v ) =
1x
1
1
1
1
0
1
2
3
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
1
1
a
a2
a3
1/(1 x)
1/(1 x)2
1/(1 x)3
1/(1 x)4
(13)
P
n
suddenly negative from
= 1/x. Even worse if you multiply
1 (1 x)
3
again by S to discover S v = v :
1
1/x
(x 1)/x2
and S 3 v = x2 = v .
(15)
S 2v =
2
3
x
(x 1) /x
(16)
M
obius Matrices
A true algebraist would look for matrices of Pascal type in a group representation. Suppose the infinite matrices S and U and L represent the Mobius
transformations x 1/(1 x) and x/(1 x) and x + 1 that we met in
Proof 4. Then LU = S would have an even shorter Proof 5, by composing
y = x/(1 x) and z = y + 1 from L and U :
z=
x
1
+1=
.
1x
1x
We hope to study a larger class of Mobius matrices for (ax + b)/(cx + d).
A finite-dimensional representation leads to M 3 = I for the rotated matrix
with alternating signs known to MATLAB as M = pascal(n, 2). Here is n = 3:
3
1
1 1
M 3 = 2 1 0 = I
1
0 0
because
1
1
= x.
1
1 1x
10
References
[1] Robert Brawer and Magnus Pirovino, The Linear Algebra of the Pascal
Matrix, Linear Algebra and Its Applications 174 (1992) 1323.
[2] Gregory Call and Daniel Velleman, Pascals Matrices, American Math.
Monthly 100 (1993).
[3] E.B. Curtis, David Ingerman and J.A. Morrow, Circular planar graphs
and resistor networks, Linear Algebra and Its Applications 283 (1998)
115150.
[4] A.W.F. Edwards, Pascals Arithmetical Triangle: The Story of a Mathematical Idea, Charles Griffin, 1987 and Johns Hopkins University Press,
2002.
[5] N.J. Higham, Accuracy and Stability in Numerical Algorithms, SIAM
(1996).
11
[6] Peter Hilton and Jean Pederson, Looking into Pascals Triangle: Combinatorics, Arithmetic, and Geometry, Math. Magazine 60 (1987) 305
316.
[7] David Ingerman, Discrete and continuous inverse boundary problems on
a disc, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Washington, 1997.
[8] Samuel Karlin, Total Positivity, Vol. 1, Stanford University Press, 1968.
[9] Donald Knuth, Fundamental Algorithms: Vol. I, The Art of Computer
Programming, Addison-Wesley, 1973.
[10] Gilbert Strang, Introduction to Linear Algebra, 3rd edition, WellesleyCambridge Press, 2003.
[11] W.C. Waterhouse, The map behind a binomial coefficient matrix over
Z/pZ, Linear Algebra and Its Applications 105 (1988) 195198.
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