Princess Antonette A.

Tesado Enhanced Mathematics

X – Perseus 07/24/19

N Cubes
Summary/Synopsis

In the old times, people used to think about how solving numbers could be made easy. Now, as time
passed by, formulas are being made by math experts and also by people’s curiosity.

This investigation focuses on exploring number patterns involving the difference of a cube from a real
number (n). It seeks to find out the shortest way of finding the cubic polynomial of a real number (n) subtracted
from the cube of the real number (n), multiplied to the real number (n) minus one. Furthermore, it investigates if
the formulated equation:

[ n³ - ( n³ + n² + n )] n – 1 = n - n³

will hold true to all real numbers.

Formula/Proof

This investigation aims to determine the shortest way of finding the cubic polynomial of a real number (n)
subtracted from the cube of the real number (n), multiplied to the real number (n) minus one by answering the
following questions:

1. Is the cubic polynomial of an even number subtracted from the cube of the even number,
multiplied to the even number minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the even number subtracted
from the even number?

2. Is the cubic polynomial of an odd number subtracted from the cube of the odd number,
multiplied to the odd number minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the odd number subtracted from
the odd number?

3. Is the cubic polynomial of a fraction subtracted from the cube of the fraction, multiplied to the
fraction minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the fraction subtracted from the fraction?

4. Does the formulated equation:

[ n³ - ( n³ + n² + n )] n – 1 = n - n³

hold true to all real numbers?

Conjectures/Examples

The following conjectures were tested:

 1. Is the cubic polynomial of an even number subtracted from the cube of the even number,
multiplied to the even number minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the even number subtracted
from the even number?
Examples:

a. Let n = 24

[24³ - (24³ + 24² + 24)] 24 – 1 = 24 – 24³

[13,824 – (13,824 + 576 + 24)] 23 = 24 – 13,824

[13,824 – 14,424] 23 = -13,800

-600(23) = -13,800

-13,800 = -13,800 √

b. Let n = 800

[800³ - (800³ + 800² + 800)] 800 – 1 = 800 – 800³

[512,000,000 – (512,000,000 + 640,000 + 800)] 799 = 800 – 512,000,000

[512,000,000– 512,640,800] 799 = -511,999,200

-640,800(799) = -511,999,200

-511,999,200 = -511,999,200 √

2. Is the cubic polynomial of an odd number subtracted from the cube of the odd number,
multiplied to the odd number minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the odd number subtracted from
the odd number?

Examples:

a. Let n = 55

[55³ - (55³ + 55² + 55)] 55 – 1 = 55 – 55³

[166,375 – (166,375 + 3,025 + 55)] 54 = 55 – 166,375

[166,375 – 169455] 54 = -166,320

-3,080(54) = -166,320

-166,320 = -166,320 √

b. Let n = 13

[13³ - (13³ + 13² + 13)] 13 – 1 = 13 – 13³

[2,197 – (2,197 + 169 + 13)] 12 = 13 – 2,197

[2,197 - 2,379] 12 = -2,184

 -182(12) = -2,184

-2,184 = -2,184 √

3. Is the cubic polynomial of a fraction subtracted from the cube of the fraction, multiplied to the
fraction minus one equal to the difference of the cube of the fraction subtracted from the fraction?

Examples:

a. Let n = ½

{[(½)³ - ((½)³ + (½)² + ½]} ½ – 1 = ½ – (½)³

[1/8 – (1/8 + 1/4 + 1/2)] -1/2 = 1/2 - 1/8

[1/8 – 7/8] -1/2 = 3/8

(-6/8)(-1/2) = 3/8

3/8 = 3/8 √

b. Let n = ¾

{[(¾)³ - ((¾)³ + (¾)² + ¾]} ¾ – 1 = ¾ – (¾)³

[27/64 – (27/64 + 9/16 + 3/4)] -1/4 = 3/4 - 27/64

[27/64 – 111/64] -1/4 = 21/64

(-84/64)(-1/4) = 21/64

21/64 = 21/64 √

4. Does the formulated equation:

[ n³ - ( n³ + n² + n )] n – 1 = n - n³

hold true to all real numbers?

Examples:

a. Let n = 0 (whole number)

[0³ - (0³ + 0² + 0)] 0 – 1 = 0 – 0³

[0 – (0 + 0 + 0)] -1 = 0

[0 – 0] -1= 0

0(-1) = 0
 0=0√

b. Let n = 1 (natural number)

[1³ - (1³ + 1² + 1)] 1 – 1 = 1 – 1³

[1 – (1 + 1 + 1)] 0 = 0

[1 – 3] 0= 0

-2(0) = 0

0=0√

Possible Extensions

The following extensions are recommended for further investigations:

1. Patterns formed by cubes of n multiplied

2. Evaluating n with an irrational number