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Inverting triangles
Suggested by Gil French 1. Consider a triangle made of three coins, with the vertex pointing up: Find the fewest number of coins that must be moved so that the triangle points down:
If you have coins or counters, you might actually make a triangle and work with it.

2.

Add another row of coins to the original triangle, making a triangle with 6 coins. Again nd the fewest number of coins that must be moved to invert the triangle.

3.

Try again for a triangle made of 10 coins. Do you think there is a pattern in the fewest number of coins required to move? Now try for a triangle made of 15 coins. Does the pattern still hold? Investigate using larger triangles (21 coins, 28 coins, and so on). Find a method for inverting the triangles by moving the fewest coins possible. Number the triangles according to how many rows are included. For example, a single coin is Triangle 1 (even though it isnt really a triangle). The 3-coin triangle has 2 rows, so its Triangle 2, and so on. There is a relationship between the triangles label and number of coins in the triangle: the number of coins in Triangle n is n(n2+1) . (Multiply the triangles label by one more than itself, then take half of that.) For Triangles 2 and up, there is also a relationship between the triangles label and the fewest number of coins that must be moved to invert the triangle. Find the relationship.
You might check with classmates to be sure youre nding the way that requires the fewest coins to be moved.

4. 5.

6.

You might try expressing the relationship symbolicallyusing variables. Or, just describe a method that lets you calculate the fewest number of coins from the number of the triangle.

Problems with a Point: August 20, 2001

c EDC 2001

Inverting triangles: Answers

Answers
1. The fewest is 1:
In these pictures, move the dark shaded coin to the position of the light shaded coin.

2.

The fewest is 2:

3.

The fewest is 3. The pattern seems to be counting numbers the number of rows in the triangle is the fewest number of coins required to move. (However, this pattern is not actually correct, as students will see in the next problem.)

4.

The fewest is 5; the pattern mentioned above doesnt hold.

5.

The method is to pull smaller triangles o each corner. With each new triangle, pull o two of the same corners as you did in the previous triangle. For the third corner, use the corner (or one of them) with the fewest number of coins in it and add one row. Here are the next two examples:

6.

There are lots of ways to describe this calculation. Here are two examples; one relies on algebraic language and the other doesnt. With algebra To nd the fewest number of coins required to invert Triangle n, divide n + 1 by 3 and get a quotient (q ) and a remainder (r). You move r + 1 corners of the same size as Triangle q and, if q > 1, move 2 r corners of the same size as Triangle q 1. +1) The number of coins in Triangle q is q(q2 , so the fewest (r +1)q (q +1) (2r)(q 1)q r1) coins required to move is + , or q(3q+2 . 2 2 2
c EDC 2001

Teachers Note: This problem set is not about proof. An explanation of why the best method truly is the best is dicult for students to articulate, so they are not asked to do so. Informally, you can explain it like this, at least for triangles larger than Triangle 3: Imagine taking a copy of a triangle and turning it point down over the original triangle. Move it so that as many coins overlap as possible, with only corners not overlapping. If you move the hexagon in any direction and overlap coins again, more coins will become exposed (one or more outside edges of the hexagon) than covered (the inside edge of the corner).

Problems with a Point: August 20, 2001

Inverting triangles: Answers

Without algebra Divide the number of rows in the triangle by 3. If the remainder is 1, then you move 3 triangles with the number of rows equal to the dividend (the result of the division, ignoring the remainder). For example, for 7 rows, 7 3 = 2R1 so you move 3 triangles with 2 rows. Multiply 3 times the number of coins in each triangle. Triangle 2 has 3 coins in it, so you have to move 9 coins. If the remainder is 2, you have to include one more row, so one triangle is of the next size up. You can calculate like you did for a remainder of 1, but add the extra row for the larger triangle. Since the number of coins in that row is the same as the number of rows in the triangle, you can just add one more than the dividend. For Triangle 11, you move 2 triangles the same size as Triangle 3, and 1 triangle the same size as Triangle 4so you have 3 6 (from Triangle 3) plus another 4, for a total of 22 coins. If the remainder is 0, you move two triangles with the dividend number of rows, plus one triangle with one fewer number of rows. So, you can again calculate like you did for remainder 1, but then subtract the extra rowwhich is the same as subtracting the dividend. For example, for Triangle 12, you must move 3 10 4 coins, for a total of 26 coins.

Problems with a Point: August 20, 2001

c EDC 2001