Pronic number

A pronic number is a number that is the product of two consecutive integers, that is, a number of the form ${\displaystyle n(n+1)}$.^[1] The study of these numbers dates back to Aristotle. They are also called oblong numbers, heteromecic numbers,^[2] or rectangular numbers;^[3] however, the term "rectangular number" has also been applied to the composite numbers.^[4][5]

The first few pronic numbers are:

0, 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56, 72, 90, 110, 132, 156, 182, 210, 240, 272, 306, 342, 380, 420, 462 … (sequence A002378 in the OEIS).

Letting ${\displaystyle P_{n}}$ denote the pronic number ${\displaystyle n(n+1)}$, we have ${\displaystyle P_{{-}n}=P_{n{-}1}}$. Therefore, in discussing pronic numbers, we may assume that ${\displaystyle n\geq 0}$ without loss of generality, a convention that is adopted in the following sections.