Desmos Polygonal Number Diagrams

Abstract

Polygonal numbers, like the triangular, square, and pentagonal numbers, are closely identified with (or even defined in terms of) the diagrams that they are associated with. The functional programming capabilities of the Desmos graphing calculator provides fun and interesting ways of exploring number diagrams like those associated with polygonal numbers. This short article provides one approach that can be used to build polygonal number diagrams in Desmos.