Pascal Triangle: The Negative Side

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The discussion explores the possibility of using Pascal's Triangle in reverse, considering negative coefficients and exponents. It suggests that while both 1 and -1 could serve as central poles, the triangle's utility in a negative context may be limited. The idea of extending Pascal's Triangle to negative exponents, such as (a+b)^[-n], is examined, with a clarification that this can also be represented as the reciprocal of (a+b)^n. The conversation emphasizes that despite challenges, Pascal's Triangle can still be relevant in these scenarios. Ultimately, the triangle's adaptability to negative values remains a topic of interest.
krateesh
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Can we use pascal triangle by moving upwards i.e in opposite direction,considering that the opposite side will have their pole as -1?
Mens both 1 & -1 will lie in between the centre.
And what if we remain unipolar with centre as 1?
Surely if both of them fail to give us the required results than we can say that pascal triangle is not universal as it doesn't fair well in negative world.
 
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Basically you wish to extend Pascals Triangle to correspond to the coefficients of negative exponents? i.e (a+b)^[-n]. But if you recognize, this can also be expressed as ((a+b)^n)^[-1], or the reciprocal of the absolute value of your negative n. So we can still use the triangle.

Edit: Uhh this tex I am trying to use isn't going too smoothly..the weird stuff ups are ment to be exponents...
 
Last edited:
Use braces for LaTeX:
(a+b)^{-n}
((a+b)^n)^{-1}
 
o ok thanks that's what i meant
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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