Re: [Phys-l] thoughts for future physics regents.

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

On 2011, Jun 22, , at 10:57, John Denker wrote:

> Call on some random student and ask, What is 
> the sum of the first ten odd numbers?  How do you know?  Can
> you draw the picture?  Ask again, day after day, until they 
> all know it cold, and know how it is related to geometry and
> physics.
>
>   My answer:  For any arithmetic series, the sum is
>      (first term + last term) * (number of terms) / 2


And in this case, the number of terms squared.

bc a bit slo -- found deductively (not a proof), then used the rule above w/  the last number = 2n-1


A geometric:

http://merganser.math.gvsu.edu/calculus/summation/odds.html

which, I presume, is about what JD wrote.