What does this equation mean to you?

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The discussion revolves around a high school student's method for calculating squares of numbers using a specific equation. The student presents a formula that relates two numbers and their squares, but initially confuses powers of two with squaring numbers. Respondents clarify that the equations can indeed be used to derive squares, providing examples and corrections to the student's approach. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between integers and their squares in algebra. Overall, the student is encouraged to explore these concepts further in number theory.
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Hi first time on this forum. Ok I was bored and found a way to calculate numbers to the power of 2:

a b c d e f \infty
1 2 3 4 5 6 \infty


b-1=a c-2=a d-3=a e-4=a f-5=a g-6=a

b^{2}=a^{2}+a+b \vee b^{2}=a^{2}+2a+1
c^{2}=a^{2}+2(2a+2) \vee c^{2}=a^{2}+4b
Same for the rest d,e,f,g,...\infty

What am I getting at? Well I'm at my second year at high scool , and well I still don't have the "software" :-) to find any other mening of this. I don't really know what I made up exept counting powers in my head using what's above.

Thanks for any input!
 
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Willowz said:
Hi first time on this forum. Ok I was bored and found a way to calculate numbers to the power of 2

I don't understand your method. How would it find 2^8, for example?
 
CRGreathouse said:
I don't understand your method. How would it find 2^8, for example?

What I meant is that you can raise any number with this equation but only to the power of ^2
 
Willowz said:
Hi first time on this forum. Ok I was bored and found a way to calculate numbers to the power of 2:

a b c d e f \infty
1 2 3 4 5 6 \infty


b-1=a c-2=a d-3=a e-4=a f-5=a g-6=a

b^{2}=a^{2}+a+b \vee b^{2}=a^{2}+2a+1



c^{2}=a^{2}+2(2a+2) \vee c^{2}=a^{2}+4b



Same for the rest d,e,f,g,...\infty

What am I getting at? Well I'm at my second year at high scool , and well I still don't have the "software" :-) to find any other mening of this. I don't really know what I made up exept counting powers in my head using what's above.

Thanks for any input!
What you are doing is finding a relation between two numbers and their second powers (squares of the numbers), not powers of 2 which means 2 muptiplied by itself a certain number of times, 2,4,8,16,32, ... In algebra, there is a way to multiplied b^2 = (a+1)*(a+1) to get the square of b since b = a + 1. You got it right when you got the result a^2 + 2a + 1. Similaly c^2 = (a+2)*(a+2). You wrote c^2 = a^2 + 4b which is correct given your values for a,b and c. But a^2 + 4b = c^2 can Be true for whole values of a,b and c only if c = a + 2m where m is also a whole number (or integer). Try it for different values of a and c. It is correct also if c = a+ 4 and b = 2a + 4. Try it for various values of a and c. You would be making a good start in number theory if you could show that c^2 could equal a^2 + 4b where a, b and c are each integers, if c = a + n where n = 2m (or an even number) but not if n = 2m + 1 (or an odd number).
 
Thanks ramsey2879 for the info, again sorry for my bad math lingo.
 
Willowz said:
What I meant is that you can raise any number with this equation but only to the power of ^2

Ah, I see. You can square any number. So can you show me how you would square 12 with this method?
 
CRGreathouse said:
Ah, I see. You can square any number. So can you show me how you would square 12 with this method?
:
a=11 b=12
b^2=121+11+12 or b^2=121+22+1
144=144 144=144

a=10 b=11 c=12
c^2=100+2(20+2) or c^2=100+4(11)
c^2=100+44 c^2=100+44
144=144 144=144
 
Last edited:
Willowz said:
:
a=11 b=12
b^2=121+11+12 or b^2=121+22+1
144=144 144=144

a=10 b=11 c=12
c^2=100+2(20+2) or c^2=100+4(11)
c^2=100+44 c^2=100+44
144=144 144=144
This is simple to show via algebra:

c = a + 2
c^2 = (a+2)*(a+2)
= a^2 + 4a + 4 = a^2 + 4(a + 1)
= a^2 + 4b

or if c = a + 2n then
c^2 = (a + 2n)(a+2n)
= a^2 + 4na + 4n^2
= a^2 + 4b \quad \| b = n(a+n)
 
Last edited:

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