I don't have a DMG handy, and I can't seem to find it in the SRD - how much gold would a 3rd level character start with, by the books? And is there an easy-to-remember formula for that?
I'm trying to figure out what was the mathematical formula behind the increase. I'm pretty sure its along the lines of a logarithmic function. Boy my math classes are waaay behind me...
Each time you go up a level, you get roughly 30% more money than you get at the prior level. That's what the ELH cites, anyway (in passing, as they explain that to keep wealth levels below the "personal moon-sized chunk of platinum" level, the increase goes to only 10%-per-level, at epic levels).