Ponzi Pyramid Schemes

This activity comes from the Mathematics Assessment Project. For more information see http://map.mathshell.org/tasks.php?unit=HE06&collection=9&redir=1. I find this a good activity to start thinking about exponential functions as most students can work on it without necessarily knowing they are dealing with an exponential function. They also generally find it an interesting puzzle.

MAPS ponzi_pyramid_schemes.pdf