Pascal's Triangle: A Study in Combinations

You will enjoy this book if you are mathematically curious and have a reasonably sound high school mathematics background. There is no calculus or other higher mathematics needed to study the contents of this book. The challenge of this excursion is that it involves a way of thinking that is unfamiliar to many: combinatorial argument. Consequently, by reading this book you will learn something new about the broader world of mathematics. This book first introduces the reader to many interesting patterns in Pascal’s Triangle. These patterns serve as the gateway to thinking in terms of combinations. This short trek is a pleasant and rewarding journey for the mind.

Jason VanBilliard is a mathematics education professor who serves as the dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Cairn University, he is a regular presenter at local and regional conferences and conducts summer institutes for high school calculus teachers. Jason received his M.A. in Mathematics from West Chester University in West Chester, PA and his Ed.D. in Mathematics Education from Temple University in Philadelphia.