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Puzzles
121
Source:
Mathematical Circus
by Martin Gardner
Find a number base other than 10 in which 121 is a perfect square.
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This is true for any base larger than 2. This is because:
$$121_n = 1+2n+n^2$$ $$=(n+1)^1$$
Extension
Which other base 10 square numbers are always square in high enough bases?
Tags:
numbers
,
bases
If you enjoyed this puzzle, check out
Sunday Afternoon Maths XLIV
,
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geometric mean
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lines
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sequences
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regular shapes
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geometric means
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algebra
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scales
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averages
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pascal's triangle
arrows
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