Maybe if you look at your first problem from a slightly different approach it might help you to understand the last few problems better.
Code:
#include<stdio.h>
int main()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
{
for(int j = i; j < 5; j++)
{
putchar('*');
}
printf("\n");
}
getchar();
return 0;
}
Your doing good so just keep working at it and you'll get it. These are always good teaching exercises so I would really like to see you get this on your own. Welcome to the boards.
P.S Just for future reference, this thread really should have gone on the C board, not the C++ board.