recognizing patterns: 1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221, ...

[rebelann]

this is the problem about pattern recognition i am trying to solve

1
1 1
2 1
1 2 1 1
1 1 1 2 2 1
3 1 2 2 1 1
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i first thought it was increasing by 10's til I got to the fourth line, so that didn't work. then I thought 1 plus 10 to the 1st power , 11 plus 10 to the 1st power etc. and that didnt hold either. then I thought about looking at each number separately, ( e.g line 2 would not be 11 but two separate 1's) I am stuck, anyone have any other ideas of what

Thanks

 

[o_O]

Re: recognizing patterns

Read the numbers out loud as if they are describing the line preceding it. Looking at the last line:

3 1, 2 2, 1 1

Do you see how it describes the line before it: 1 1 1 2 2 1?

 

[stapel]

i first thought it was increasing by 10's til I got to the fourth line, so that didn't work.

This is not a mathematical pattern. I wish it weren't handed out in math classes as math homework. Students beat their heads against a wall, trying to find the math in it, just to learn that, ha, ha, joke's on you, it isn't a math pattern. And this is supposed to "grow your love of mathematics" somehow.... :?

To clarify the spot-on hint you received in the earlier reply, look at the "sequence" while reading aloud:

. . . . .(Don't say anything for the first row.)
. . . . .(Then, look at the first row and read the second row.)
. . . . .The first row has one "1".
. . . . .The second row has two "1's".
. . . . .The third row has one "2" and one "1".
. . . . .The fourth row has one "1", followed by one "2", and then two "1's".

And so forth.

Eliz.

 

[rebelann]

Re: recognizing patterns

thank you all so much, you were right... I appreciate the help