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Had a student who ditched
his Math class for the last two
months of the semester
But gave the student
C+ as a final grade
C+ as a final grade
???
The student wasn't
ditching school,
he was just
spending
his Math time
in the print shop.
The student was doing
computer work instead of
solving equations.
The Math teacher was chummy
with CW, whose print shop
did work for fifteen schools
in the area in addition
to printing weekly
advertising circulars.
The Math teacher was not
mad at CW for harboring
one of his students.
Quite the contrary!
CW allowed the student
to use his printing facilities
for a "special project."
Of all the triangles
not named for Pythagoras,
THE PASCAL TRIANGLE
is the most important,
the most intriguing,
and the most practical.
It is also incredibly easy
to understand and,
visually, is very delightful.
If I wanted to be abstruse,
I would use the following
formula to explain
Blaise Pascal's
masterpiece:
But I would rather
just show you what
Miguel Cardenas created
for me to receive a C+
final grade for a class
he ditched for two months.
This image is
one-eighth
actual
size.
It is the first 20 rows
of the Pascal Triangle.
The student wasn't
ditching school,
he was just
spending
his Math time
in the print shop.
The student was doing
computer work instead of
solving equations.
The Math teacher was chummy
with CW, whose print shop
did work for fifteen schools
in the area in addition
to printing weekly
advertising circulars.
The Math teacher was not
mad at CW for harboring
one of his students.
Quite the contrary!
CW allowed the student
to use his printing facilities
for a "special project."
Of all the triangles
not named for Pythagoras,
THE PASCAL TRIANGLE
is the most important,
the most intriguing,
and the most practical.
It is also incredibly easy
to understand and,
visually, is very delightful.
If I wanted to be abstruse,
I would use the following
formula to explain
Blaise Pascal's
masterpiece:
just show you what
Miguel Cardenas created
for me to receive a C+
final grade for a class
he ditched for two months.
This image is
one-eighth
actual
size.
It is the first 20 rows
of the Pascal Triangle.
I was so proud
of Miguel Cardenas,
his art work became
patio decor when I moved
to Virginia.
Five of my little neighbors there,
none older than ten, were very curious
about Pascal's Triangle.
I asked them to figure out
where each number came from
and they did so on their own:
Each number is the sum
of the two numbers above it.
Unless it is at the end of a row
in which case, the number is one.
I did, however, explain to them
Pascal's Hockey stick.
Not until their ages had doubled
would the five Virginia children
ever have learned about
Pascal's Triangle
if it had not been for
MIGUEL CARDENAS
of South-Central
Los Angeles.
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Footnote
Here is an enlarged detail
from Pascal's Triangle:
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Here is an enlarged detail
from Pascal's Triangle:
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