IB Mathematics SL

Math
Portfolio
(Type I)

Stellar Numbers

Rianette Evadne A. Lapiz

Ås Videregående Skole
30th August 2010
PROBLEM
The following diagrams show a triangular pattern of evenly space dots. The numbers of dots in
each diagram are examples of triangular numbers (1, 3, 6, …).

TASK 1
Complete the triangular numbers with three more terms.

TASK 2
Find a general statement that represents the nth triangular number in terms of n.

n* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
y 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36
*Let

Calculator used: CASIO fx-9750GA PLUS

1. Select STAT.
2. Encode values for in List 1 and values for in List 2.
3. Select GRPH (by pressing F1). Select GPH1 (by pressing F1 again).
4. Select x^2 (by pressing F3).
 The display shows:

5. Substitute with .

General
Statement

PROBLEM
Consider stellar (star) shapes with vertices, leading to -stellar numbers. The first four
representations for a star with six vertices are shown in the four stages below. The 6-stellar
number at each stage is the total number of dots in the diagram.

S1

S2
S3
S4
TASK 3
Find the number of dots (i.e. the stellar number) in each stage up to . Organize the data so that you
can recognize and describe any patterns.

n 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sn 1 13 37 73 121 181

+12(1) +12(6) +12(15)

+12(3) +12(10)
We know that

and that
 +12(1) x=1

+12(3) x=3

+12(xn) +12(6) x=6

+12(10) x = 10

+12(15) x = 15

 12 is the number of vertices of the first 6-stellar shape.

 values are equal to y values in TASK 2.

n 1 2 3 4 5
y 1 3 6 10 15

TASK 4
Find an expression for the 6-stellar number at stage .

Since

and

then

TASK 5
Find a general statement for the 6-stellar number at stage Sn in terms of n.

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 13 37 73

Calculator used: CASIO fx-9750GA PLUS

1. Select STAT.
2. Encode values for in List 1 and values for in List 2.
3. Select GRPH (by pressing F1). Select GPH1 (by pressing F1 again).
 4. Select x^2 (by pressing F3).

The display shows:

5. Substitute with and with .

General Statement

TASK 6
Repeat steps above (tasks 3-5) with other values of .

Values of used are (one more and one less than original) 5 and 7.

5-STELLAR SHAPE

S1
S2
S3
S4

SUBTASK 3
Find the number of dots (i.e. the stellar number) in each stage up to . Organize the data so that you
can recognize and describe any patterns.

n 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sn 1 11 31 61 101 151

+10(1) +10(6) +10(15)

+10(3) +10(10)
We know that

.
SUBTASK 4
Find an expression for the 5-stellar number at stage .
SUBTASK 5
Find a general statement for the 5-stellar number at stage Sn in terms of n.

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 11 31 61

Calculator used: CASIO fx-9750GA PLUS

1. Select STAT.
2. Encode values for in List 1 and values for in List 2.
3. Select GRPH (by pressing F1). Select GPH1 (by pressing F1 again).
4. Select x^2 (by pressing F3).

The display shows:

5. Substitute with and with .

General Statement

7-STELLAR SHAPE

S1

S2
S3
S4
SUBTASK 3
Find the number of dots (i.e. the stellar number) in each stage up to . Organize the data so that you
can recognize and describe any patterns.

n 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sn 1 15 43 85 141 211
+14(1) +14(6) +14(15)
+14(3) +14(10)
We know that

.
SUBTASK 4
Find an expression for the 5-stellar number at stage .

SUBTASK 5
Find a general statement for the 5-stellar number at stage Sn in terms of n.

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 15 43 85

Calculator used: CASIO fx-9750GA PLUS

1. Select STAT.
2. Encode values for in List 1 and values for in List 2.
3. Select GRPH (by pressing F1). Select GPH1 (by pressing F1 again).
4. Select x^2 (by pressing F3).

The display shows:

5. Substitute with and with .

General Statement

TASK 7
Hence, produce the general statement, in terms of p and n, that generates the sequence of p –stellar
numbers for any value of p at stage Sn.

5-STELLAR

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 11 31 61

VALID!
6-STELLAR

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 13 37 73

VALID!

7-STELLAR

n 1 2 3 4
Sn 1 15 43 85

VALID!

GENERAL STATEMENT

This statement can be applied to all p-stellar shapes given that . It cannot, however, be applied to
other polygons.

The general statement is derived from the equations generated in the cases of a 5-, 6- and 7-stellar
shape. The numerical coefficients in each equation is equal to the corresponding stellar number .