A hexagonal number is a figurate number. The nth hexagonal number hn is the number of distinct dots in a pattern of dots consisting of the outlines of regular hexagons with sides up to n dots, when the hexagons are overlaid so that they share one vertex. The formula for the nth hexagonal number The first few hexagonal numbers are: Every hexagonal number is a triangular number, but only every other triangular number (the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) is a hexagonal number. Like a triangular number, the digital root in base 10 of a hexagonal number can only be 1, 3, 6, or 9. The digital root pattern, repeating every nine terms, is "1 6 6 1 9 3 1 3 9". Every even perfect number is hexagonal, given by the formula The largest number that cannot be written as a sum of at most four hexagonal numbers is 130. Adrien-Marie Legendre proved in 1830 that any integer greater than 1791 can be expressed in this way. In addition, only two integers cannot be expressed using five hexagonal numbers (but can be with six), those being 11 and 26. Hexagonal numbers should not be confused with centered hexagonal numbers, which model the standard packaging of Vienna sausages. To avoid ambiguity, hexagonal numbers are sometimes called "cornered hexagonal numbers".

Test for hexagonal numbers

One can efficiently test whether a positive integer x is a hexagonal number by computing If n is an integer, then x is the nth hexagonal number. If n is not an integer, then x is not hexagonal.

Congruence relations

Other properties

Expression using sigma notation

The nth number of the hexagonal sequence can also be expressed by using sigma notation as where the empty sum is taken to be 0.

Sum of the reciprocal hexagonal numbers

The sum of the reciprocal hexagonal numbers is 2ln(2) , where ln denotes natural logarithm.

Multiplying the index

Using rearrangement, the next set of formulas is given: ...

Ratio relation

Using the final formula from before with respect to m and then n, and then some reducing and moving, one can get to the following equation:

Numbers of divisors of powers of certain natural numbers

12^{n-1} for n>0 has h_n divisors. Likewise, for any natural number of the form r = p^2 q where p and q are distinct prime numbers, r^{n-1} for n>0 has h_n divisors. Proof. has divisors of the form p^k q^l, for k = 0 ... 2(n − 1), l = 0 ... n − 1. Each combination of k and l yields a distinct divisor, so r^{n-1} has divisors, i.e. divisors. ∎

Hexagonal square numbers

The sequence of numbers that are both hexagonal and perfect squares starts 1, 1225, 1413721,... .