Scribd
Upload
137 views9 pages

Exploring Patterns

The document discusses patterns and sequences in mathematics. It provides examples of different types of numeric patterns defined by rules for determining the next term. The types of patterns discussed include recursive patterns defined by a rule to calculate each subsequent term from the previous one, growing patterns where the rule changes with each term, and repeating patterns where a sequence repeats a core pattern. The document also mentions explicit formulas that directly connect the term value to its position in the sequence without needing prior terms.

Uploaded by

sammypporter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
137 views9 pages

Exploring Patterns

The document discusses patterns and sequences in mathematics. It provides examples of different types of numeric patterns defined by rules for determining the next term. The types of patterns discussed include recursive patterns defined by a rule to calculate each subsequent term from the previous one, growing patterns where the rule changes with each term, and repeating patterns where a sequence repeats a core pattern. The document also mentions explicit formulas that directly connect the term value to its position in the sequence without needing prior terms.

Uploaded by

sammypporter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Exploring Patterns

What is a pattern
• Mathematics is sometimes called the "Science
of Pattern", in the sense of rules that can be
applied wherever needed. For example, any
sequence of numbers that may be modeled by
a mathematical function can be considered
a pattern. Mathematics can be taught as a
collection of patterns.
What is a sequence
• A sequence, in mathematics, is a string of
objects, like numbers, that follow a particular
pattern. The individual elements in a sequence
are called terms. Some of the simplest
sequences can be found in multiplication
tables:
Examples
• 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, …
Pattern: “add 3 to the previous number to get the next number”
• 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, …
Pattern: “add 12 to the previous number to get the next number”
• Of course we can come up with much more complicated sequences:
• 10,–2 8,×2 16,–2 14,×2 28,–2 26,×2 52, …
Pattern: “alternatingly subtract 2 and multiply by 2 to get the next
number”
• 0,+2 2,+4 6,+6 12,+8 20,+10 30,+12 42, …
Pattern: “add increasing even numbers to get the next number”
Types of pattern
• Recursive Patterns and Formulas. For most students, it
• is easier to see the patterns from one step to the next. In
• Figure 14.12(a), the number in each step can be determined
• from the previous step by adding successive even numbers.
• The description that tells how a pattern changes from step
• to step is known as a recursive pattern (Bezuszka & Kenney,
• 2008; Blanton, 2008).
• The recursive pattern can also be observed in the physical
• pattern and in the table. In Figure 14.12(b), notice that
• in each step, the previous step has been outlined. That lets
• you examine the amount added and see how it creates the
• pattern of adding on even numbers.
• growing patterns. With these patterns, students
not only
• extend or identify the core but also look for a
generalization
• or an algebraic relationship that will tell them
what
• the pattern will be at any point along the way
(e.g., the
• nth term).
• Identifying and Extending Repeating Patterns. An
important
• concept in working with repeating patterns is for
• students to identify the core of the pattern (Warren &
• Cooper,
• 2008). The core of a repeating pattern is the string
• of elements that repeats. It is important to use
knowledge
• of the core to extend the pattern.
• Explicit Formulas. To find the table entry for the hundredth
• step, the only way a recursive formula can help is to
• find all of the prior 99 entries in the table. If a formula can
• be discovered that connects the number of the step to the
• number of objects at that step, any table entry can be
determined
• without building or calculating all of the previous
• entries. A rule that determines the number of elements in a
• step from the step number is called the explicit formula.

You might also like