Pascal's triangle: Difference between revisions
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The '''Pascal's triangle''' is a convenient tabular presentation for the [[binomial coefficients]]. Already known in the 11th century<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Al-Karaji.html ''Abu Bekr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn Al-Karaji''], School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews. Consulted 2005-09-03.</ref>, it was adopted in [[Western world]] under this name after [[Blaise Pascal]] published his ''Traité du triangle arithmétique'' ("Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle") in 1654. | The '''Pascal's triangle''' is a convenient tabular presentation for the [[binomial coefficients]]. Already known in the 11th century<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Al-Karaji.html ''Abu Bekr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn Al-Karaji''], School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews. Consulted 2005-09-03.</ref>, it was adopted in [[Western world]] under this name after [[Blaise Pascal]] published his ''Traité du triangle arithmétique'' ("Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle") in 1654. | ||
For instance, we can use Pascal's triangle to compute the [[coefficient]]s of | |||
<math>(x+y)^5 = 1 \times a^4 + 4 \times a^3b + 6 \times a^2b^2 + 4 \times ab^3 + 1 \times b^4 ~</math> | |||
The coefficients 1, 4, 6, 4, 1 appear directly in the triangle. | |||
<center> | |||
<math> | |||
\begin{matrix} | |||
&&&&&1\\ | |||
&&&&1&&1\\ | |||
&&&1&&2&&1\\ | |||
&&1&&3&&3&&1\\ | |||
&1&&4&&6&&4&&1\\ | |||
&&&&&\cdots | |||
\end{matrix} | |||
</math> | |||
</center> | |||
Each coefficient in the triangle is the sum of the two coefficients over it<ref>This rule does not apply to the ones bordering the triangle. We just insert them.</ref>. For instance, <math>6 = 3 + 3</math>. The binomial coefficients relate to this construction by Pascal's rule, which states that if | |||
:<math> {n \choose k} = \frac{n!}{k! (n-k)!} </math> | |||
is the ''k''th binomial coefficient in the [[binomial expansion]] of (''x''+''y'')<sup>''n''</sup>, then | |||
:<math> {n \choose k} = {n-1 \choose k-1} + {n-1 \choose k}</math> | |||
for any nonnegative integer ''n'' and any integer ''k'' between 0 and ''n''.<ref>By convention, the binomial coefficient <math>\scriptstyle {n \choose k}</math> is set to zero if ''k'' is either less than zero or greater than ''n''.</ref> | |||
Those coefficients have applications in [[algebra]] and in [[probabilities]]. From the triangle, we can equally compute the [[Fibonacci number]]s and create the [[Sierpinski triangle]]. [[Isaac Newton]], after studying it, found new methods to extract the [[square root]] and to calculate natural [[logarithm]]s of a number. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 02:53, 24 October 2007
The Pascal's triangle is a convenient tabular presentation for the binomial coefficients. Already known in the 11th century[1], it was adopted in Western world under this name after Blaise Pascal published his Traité du triangle arithmétique ("Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle") in 1654.
For instance, we can use Pascal's triangle to compute the coefficients of
The coefficients 1, 4, 6, 4, 1 appear directly in the triangle.
Each coefficient in the triangle is the sum of the two coefficients over it[2]. For instance, . The binomial coefficients relate to this construction by Pascal's rule, which states that if
is the kth binomial coefficient in the binomial expansion of (x+y)n, then
for any nonnegative integer n and any integer k between 0 and n.[3]
Those coefficients have applications in algebra and in probabilities. From the triangle, we can equally compute the Fibonacci numbers and create the Sierpinski triangle. Isaac Newton, after studying it, found new methods to extract the square root and to calculate natural logarithms of a number.
References
- ↑ Abu Bekr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn Al-Karaji, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews. Consulted 2005-09-03.
- ↑ This rule does not apply to the ones bordering the triangle. We just insert them.
- ↑ By convention, the binomial coefficient is set to zero if k is either less than zero or greater than n.
