Visualising connections between types of polygonal number

Abstract

Figurate numbers are numbers that can be represented by a regular and discrete geometric pattern of evenly-spaced points. Their study has attracted the attention of many mathematicians and scientists since the dawn of mathematical history, including Pythagoras of Samos (582 BC-507 BC), Diophantus of Alexandria (200/214-284/298), Fibonacci (1170-1250), Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665), Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), Waclaw Franciszek Sierpińshi (1882-1969) [1]. Although it is not one of the basic topics, it serves many fields of mathematics, such as Number Theory and Geometry. Many special numbers are related to figurate numbers. Polynomial values, some theorems and solutions of Diophantine equations are expressed in figurate numbers and studied [2, 3, 4]. Two-dimensional figurate numbers are known as polygonal numbers. In the early 1990's, polygonal numbers were expressed and visualised with the help of computers [5]. Richard K. Guy asked the question ‘Every number is expressible as the sum of how many polygonal numbers?’ [6]. As can be understood from his study, it is seen that most of the studies conducted are about ordinary polygonal numbers. But Euler proved the ‘generalized pentagonal number theorem’ about partitions [7].