MATH 1013

Mathematics in the Modern World

Week 9

1
PROBLEM SOLVING
WITH PATTERNS

2
LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to :

1. construct a difference table to predict the next term of a
sequence;
2. determine an nth-term formula for a sequence given by
geometric figures; and
3. generate the next numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

3
SEQUENCE
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers

3, 5, 7, 9, …
1st term 4th term This means that the
2nd term 3rd term
sequence goes on

represents nth-term of a sequence

4
DIFFERENCE TABLE
shows the differences between successive terms of the
sequence

The sequence 2 3 6 11 18

5
DIFFERENCE TABLE
shows the differences between successive terms of the
sequence

The sequence 2 3 6 11 18
The difference 1 3 5 7

6
DIFFERENCE TABLE
shows the differences between successive terms of the
sequence

The sequence 2 3 6 11 18
The difference 1 3 5 7
The difference of the
differences 2 2 2
7
EXAMPLE 1
Consider the sequence,

Find the next term of the sequence

Sequence 2 5 8 11 14

8
EXAMPLE 1
Consider the sequence,

Find the next term of the sequence

Sequence 2 5 8 11 14
First differences 3 3 3 3
Hence, the next term of the sequence is 14+3 = 17.

9
EXAMPLE 2
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 5 14 27 44 65 …

10
EXAMPLE 2
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 5 14 27 44 65 …
First differences: 9 13 17 21

In this case, we compute for the second differences

since the first differences are not the same
11
EXAMPLE 2
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 5 14 27 44 65 …
First differences: 9 13 17 21
Second differences:
4 4 4
Since the second differences are all the same, we can now predict for
the next term of the sequence.
12
 Sequence: 5 14 27 44 65 90← 𝟔𝟓+𝟐𝟓
First differences: 9 13 17 21 25 ← 𝟐𝟏+𝟒
Second differences: 4 4 4 4
This process can be repeated to predict additional terms of the sequence.
13
EXAMPLE 3
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207

14
EXAMPLE 3
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207

First differences: 5 17 35 59 89

15
EXAMPLE 3
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207

First differences: 5 17 35 59 89

Second differences: 12 18 24 30

16
EXAMPLE 3
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207

First differences: 5 17 35 59 89

Second differences: 12 18 24 30

Third differences: 6 6 6
17
EXAMPLE 3
Use the difference table to predict the next term in the
sequence.

Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332

First differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125

Second differences: 12 18 24 30 36

Third differences: 6 6 6 6
18
Nth – TERM FORMULA FOR A
SEQUENCE
In some cases, we can use patterns to predict a
formula, called nth-term formula, that
generates the terms of a sequence.

19
EXAMPLE 4
Consider the formula . Find the first five terms of the sequence and the 40 th
term.
Solution:
To get the first five terms of the sequence, we just replace n in the nth-term
formula with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5,

So the first five terms are

To find the 40th term, we replace n with 40

4840 20
EXAMPLE 5
Assume the pattern shown by the square tiles in the following continues.

𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4
a. What is the nth-term formula for the number of tiles in the nth figure of the
sequence?
b. How many tiles are in the eight figure of the sequence?
c. Which figure will consist of exactly 320 tiles?
21
Solution
• Examine the figures for patterns. Note that the second figure has two tiles on each
of the horizontal sections and one tile between the horizontal sections.
• The third figure has three tiles on each horizontal section and two tiles between the
horizontal sections.
• The fourth figure has four tiles on each horizontal section and three tiles between
the horizontal sections
4
3
2 3
2
1 1
1 2 3 4
𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4
𝑎 1=1+1=2 𝑎 2=2+1+2=5 𝑎 3=3+2+ 3=8 𝑎 4 =4+ 3+ 4=11
3n 1

22
b. To compute for the number of tiles in the 8 th figure, we place
the n in the formula with 8

c. To determine which figure in the sequence will consist of 320

tiles, we solve the equation

23
Named for the famous mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci, this
number sequence is a simple, yet profound pattern. Based on
Fibonacci’s ‘rabbit problem’, this sequence begins with the numbers
1 and 1, and then each subsequent number is found by adding the
two previous numbers. Therefore, after 1 and 1, the next number is
2(1+1). The next number is 3(1+2) and then 5(2+3) and so on.

24
The Fibonacci Numbers
The numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are given by
the following recursive definition.

A recursive definition for a sequence is one which

each successive term of the sequence is defined by
using some of the preceding terms.

25
EXAMPLE 6
Use the definition of Fibonacci
numbers to find the seventh (F7) and
eighth (F8) Fibonacci numbers.

26
Solution
The first six Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3,
5 and 8. The seventh Fibonacci number is the
sum of the two previous Fibonacci numbers.
Thus,

27
28
FORMULA FOR THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
We can find any term in the Fibonacci sequence by computing for the
sum of the two previous terms. However, this procedure of adding the
previous two terms requires longer time and more effort. For instance,
what is the 100th term or the 1000th term of the Fibonacci sequence? To ­
find the 100th term, we need to know the 98th and 99th terms. To fi­nd the
1000th term, we need to know the 998th and 999th terms. Many
mathematicians tried to ­find a non-recursive nth-term formula for the
Fibonacci sequence without success, until a formula was discovered by
Jacques Binet in 1843.

29
 BINET’S FORMULA
The following formula is known as Binet’s formula for the nth
Fibonacci number.

Where: is the golden ratio =

30
 SIMPLIFIED BINET’S FORMULA
Since or will be too small compared to or , we can ignore it in our
calculations and just round of our answer to the nearest integer
Thus, the simplified Binet’s Formula is given by

is an abbreviation for “the nearest integer of”

31
EXAMPLE 7
Find the 20th,30th , and 40th Fibonacci number

Solution:
Using the Simplified Binet’s formula

32
33