here is a fast example implemented in go-lang that calculates from the outer edges of a row and works it's way to the middle assigning two values with a single calculation...
package main
import "fmt"
func calcRow(n int) []int {
// row always has n + 1 elements
row := make( []int, n + 1, n + 1 )
// set the edges
row[0], row[n] = 1, 1
// calculate values for the next n-1 columns
for i := 0; i < int(n / 2) ; i++ {
x := row[ i ] * (n - i) / (i + 1)
row[ i + 1 ], row[ n - 1 - i ] = x, x
}
return row
}
func main() {
for n := 0; n < 20; n++ {
fmt.Printf("n = %d, row = %v\n", n, calcRow( n ))
}
}
the output for 20 iterations takes about 1/4 millisecond to run...
n = 0, row = [1]
n = 1, row = [1 1]
n = 2, row = [1 2 1]
n = 3, row = [1 3 3 1]
n = 4, row = [1 4 6 4 1]
n = 5, row = [1 5 10 10 5 1]
n = 6, row = [1 6 15 20 15 6 1]
n = 7, row = [1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1]
n = 8, row = [1 8 28 56 70 56 28 8 1]
n = 9, row = [1 9 36 84 126 126 84 36 9 1]
n = 10, row = [1 10 45 120 210 252 210 120 45 10 1]
n = 11, row = [1 11 55 165 330 462 462 330 165 55 11 1]
n = 12, row = [1 12 66 220 495 792 924 792 495 220 66 12 1]
n = 13, row = [1 13 78 286 715 1287 1716 1716 1287 715 286 78 13 1]
n = 14, row = [1 14 91 364 1001 2002 3003 3432 3003 2002 1001 364 91 14 1]
n = 15, row = [1 15 105 455 1365 3003 5005 6435 6435 5005 3003 1365 455 105 15 1]
n = 16, row = [1 16 120 560 1820 4368 8008 11440 12870 11440 8008 4368 1820 560 120 16 1]
n = 17, row = [1 17 136 680 2380 6188 12376 19448 24310 24310 19448 12376 6188 2380 680 136 17 1]
n = 18, row = [1 18 153 816 3060 8568 18564 31824 43758 48620 43758 31824 18564 8568 3060 816 153 18 1]
n = 19, row = [1 19 171 969 3876 11628 27132 50388 75582 92378 92378 75582 50388 27132 11628 3876 969 171 19 1]