Second Column and Diagonal of Pascal's Triangle consist of Triangular Numbers
Theorem
The $2$nd column and $2$nd diagonal of Pascal's triangle consists of the set of triangular numbers.
Proof
Recall Pascal's triangle:
- $\begin{array}{r|rrrrrrrrrr}
n & \binom n 0 & \binom n 1 & \binom n 2 & \binom n 3 & \binom n 4 & \binom n 5 & \binom n 6 & \binom n 7 & \binom n 8 & \binom n 9 & \binom n {10} & \binom n {11} & \binom n {12} \\ \hline 0 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 3 & 1 & 3 & 3 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 4 & 1 & 4 & 6 & 4 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 5 & 1 & 5 & 10 & 10 & 5 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 6 & 1 & 6 & 15 & 20 & 15 & 6 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 7 & 1 & 7 & 21 & 35 & 35 & 21 & 7 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 8 & 1 & 8 & 28 & 56 & 70 & 56 & 28 & 8 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 9 & 1 & 9 & 36 & 84 & 126 & 126 & 84 & 36 & 9 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 10 & 1 & 10 & 45 & 120 & 210 & 252 & 210 & 120 & 45 & 10 & 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 11 & 1 & 11 & 55 & 165 & 330 & 462 & 462 & 330 & 165 & 55 & 11 & 1 & 0 \\ 12 & 1 & 12 & 66 & 220 & 495 & 792 & 924 & 792 & 495 & 220 & 66 & 12 & 1 \\ \end{array}$
By definition, the entry in row $n$ and column $m$ contains the binomial coefficient $\dbinom n m$.
Thus the $2$nd column contains all the elements of the form $\dbinom n 2$.
The $m$th diagonal consists of the elements in column $n - m$.
Thus the $m$th diagonal contains the binomial coefficients $\dbinom n {n - m}$.
By Symmetry Rule for Binomial Coefficients:
- $\dbinom n {n - m} = \dbinom n m$
Thus the $2$nd diagonal also contains the binomial coefficients $\dbinom n 2$.
By Binomial Coefficient with Two: Corollary, the triangular numbers are precisely those numbers of the form $\dbinom n 2$.
Hence the result.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $15$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $15$