My Investigation is called 'Number Stairs'

Mathematics Coursework

Number stairs

My Investigation is called ‘Number Stairs’

Task Statement

I have been set the task of working out the relationship between a three-stair total and the position of the stair shape on the prearranged grid and other stair totals. For further investigation other stair totals could be worked out on different grids of our own and also different numbers of stairs other than three.

The rules for my investigation are:

1. Each stair is labelled as a number; this number is the bottom left hand number of that stair. This is known as the keystone.

2. You will work horizontally across the grid from square number one.

3. If you come to a stair total on the edge of a grid this is what you should do:

This is, if it was not on the edge:

30 31

20 21 22

Aim

As I work through this task I hope to find a formula that will help me to work out any stair total on any grid.

Method

To start with I will work out the stairs going across. This, after working a few stairs a pattern occurs; this can be worked out by subtracting on stair total (e.g. 3) from the next stair total down (e.g. 2).