1

1 1

1

1

1

1

2

3 3

1 4 1

PASCAL’S PUMPKINS

What numbers belong on the bottom rows of pumpkins?

Add the numbers in each row. What kind of pattern is formed?

What other patterns can you find in Pascal’s pumpkin patch? SOURCE: Rutgers Discrete Math Institute 1 tkawas@mathwire.com

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

2

3 3

6 4 1 4 1

5 10 5 1 1

PASCAL’S PUMPKINS

What numbers belong on the bottom rows of

Add the numbers in each row. What kind of pattern is formed?

What other patterns can you find in Pascal’s pumpkin patch?

10

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32… Or powers of 2 Rule: 2 x (row# - 1) or 2n-1

Answers

Add the two pump-kins above each pumpkin to get the number for the new pumpkin. e.g. 4 + 6 = 10

SOURCE: Rutgers Discrete Math Institute 2 tkawas@mathwire.com