NUMBER PATTERNS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
In earlier grades you saw patterns in the form of pictures and numbers.
In this chapter, we learn more about the mathematics of patterns. Patterns are
repetitive sequences and can be found in nature, shapes, events, sets of numbers and
almost everywhere you care to look.
For example, seeds in a sunflower, snowflakes, geometric designs on quilts or tiles,
or the number sequence 0;4;8;12;16;….
3.2 DESCRIBING SEQUENCES
A sequence is an ordered list of items, usually numbers. Each item which makes up a
sequence is called a “term”.
Sequences can have interesting patterns. Here we examine some types of patterns and
how they are formed.
EXAMPLES:
1; 4; 7; 10; 13; 16; 19; 22; 25; …
There is difference of 3 between successive terms.
The pattern is continued by adding 3 to the previous term.
13; 8; 3; −2; −7; −12; −17; −22; …
There is a difference of −5 between successive terms.
The pattern is continued by adding −5 to (i.e. subtracting 5 from) the previous term.
2; 4; 8; 16; 32; 64; 128; 256; …
This sequence has a factor of 2 between successive terms.
The pattern is continued by multiplying the previous term by 2.
3; −9; 27; −81; 243; −729; 2187; …
This sequence has a factor of −3 between successive terms.
The pattern is continued by multiplying the previous term by −3.
9; 3; 1; 13; 19; 127; …
𝟏
This sequence has a factor of between successive terms.
𝟑
𝟏
The pattern is continued by multiplying the previous term by which is equivalent to
𝟑
dividing the previous term by 3.
To describe terms in a number pattern we use the following notation:
The first term of a sequence is 𝑇1 .
The fourth term of a sequence is 𝑇4 .
The tenth term of a sequence is 𝑇10 .
The general term is often expressed as the nth term and is written as 𝑇𝑛 .
A sequence does not have to follow a pattern but, when it does, we can write down the
general formula to calculate any term. For example, consider the following linear
sequence:
1; 3; 5; 7; 9; …
The 𝑛𝑡ℎ term is given by the general formula:
𝑇𝑛 = 2𝑛 − 1
You can check this by substituting values into the formula:
𝑇1 = 2(1) − 1 = 1
𝑇2 = 2(2) − 1 = 3
𝑇3 = 2(3) − 1 = 5
𝑇4 = 2(4) − 1 = 7
𝑇5 = 2(5) − 1 = 9
If we find the relationship between the position of a term and its value, we can find a
general formula which matches the pattern and find any term in the sequence.
COMMON DIFFERENCE
Consider the following sequence:
6; 1;−4;−9;...
We can see that each term is decreasing by 5 but how would we determine
the general formula for the 𝑛𝑡ℎ term? Let us try to do this with a table.
Term 𝑇1 𝑇2 𝑇3 𝑇4 𝑇𝑛
number
Term 6 1 -4 -9
Formula 6−0×5 6−1×5 6−2×5 6−3×5 6−𝑛−1×5
You can see that the difference between the successive terms is always the coefficient
of 𝒏 in the formula. This is called a common difference.
Therefore, for sequences with a common difference, the general formula will always be of
the form: 𝑇𝑛 = 𝑑𝑛 + 𝑐 where d is the difference between each term and c is some
constant.
DEFINITION
COMMON DIFFERENCE
The common difference ids the difference between any term and the term before it. The
common difference is denoted by d.
For example, consider the sequence 10; 7; 4; 1; …
To calculate the common difference, we find the difference between any term and the
previous term.
Let us find the common difference between the first two terms.
𝑑 = 𝑇2 − 𝑇1 = 7 − 10 = −3
Let us check another two terms:
𝑑 = 𝑇4 − 𝑇3 = 1 − 4 = −3
We see that d is constant.
IN GENERAL, 𝑑 = 𝑇𝑛 − 𝑇𝑛−1
IMPORTANT
𝑑 ≠ 𝑇𝑛−1 − 𝑇𝑛 for example, 𝑑 = 𝑇2 − 𝑇1 , not 𝑇1 − 𝑇2 .
WORKED EXAMPLE : STUDY TABLE, CONTINUED
QUESTION
As before, you and 3 friends are studying for Maths and are sitting together at a square
table. A few minutes later 2 other friends arrive so you move another table next to yours.
Now 6 people can sit at the table. Another 2 friends also join your group, so you take a
third table and add it to the existing tables. Now 8 people can sit together as shown
below.
1. Find an expression for the number of people seated at 𝑛 tables.
2. Use the general formula to determine how many people can sit around 12 tables.
3. How many tables are needed to seat 20 people?
Figure 3.2: Two more people can be seated for each table added.
SOLUTION
STEP 1. Make a table to see the pattern
Number of Tables, n Number of people seated Pattern
1 4=4 = 4 + 2(0)
2 4+2= 6 = 4 + 2(1)
3 4+2+2=8 = 4 + 2(2)
4 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 10 = 4 + 2(3)
⋮ ⋮ ⋮
𝑛 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 + ⋯+ 2 = 4 + 2(𝑛 − 1)
