The Sum of the Cubes of the First N Natural Numbers

This applet shows a dynamic geometric proof of the formula for the sum of the cubes of the first [math]n[/math] natural numbers.[br][list][br][*]Drag the slider “NumberCubes” to create up to seven cubes.[br][/list][br]Think of each cube as a collection of [math]n[/math] square layers of [math] n \times n[/math] unit cubes. To find a formula for the sum of the cubes of the first natural numbers we will rearrange the square layers.[br][list][br][*]Drag the slider “Rearrange” or press the “animate” button.[br][br][/list]

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