4 - 5 - 8 - 17 - 45(????) ->>>> (81)
(1,3,9,18,36)
* * * * *
Where did the 45 in the answer above come from? The question has a 44 after the 17. Also, the answer above seems to suggest that the figures in the brackets are the first order differences. That is, 5-4 = 1, 8-5 = 3 and so on.
That would imply that 45-17 = 18. Have I missed something here? I always believed that 45-17 = 28!
Not a very convincing way of answering a question. Change the numbers in the question to suit your answer and then carry out some rather dubious arithmetic to make it work!
So, here is another offer:
Fit the quartic equation:
t(n) = (n4 - 8n3 + 26n2 - 34n + 27)/3 for n = 1, 2, 3, ...
Then t(6) = 109
Not a very pretty answer, admittedly, but at least it is consistent with the question that was asked!
50
24
13
Look at the difference between each number and the next number.
The pattern consists of consecutive prime numbers: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13. The next prime number after 13 is 17. Therefore, the next number in the pattern is 17.
50
26
18
17 is a prime number - the next composite number after 17 is 18.
24
May 17, 2011 (:
336 t(n) = (4n5 - 50n4 + 260n3 - 640n2 +756n - 210)/30 for n = 1, 2, 3, ...
13
Look at the difference between each number and the next number.
- 4 = 1 = 3^0 8 - 5 = 3 = 3^1 17 - 8 = 9 = 3^2 44-17 = 27 = 3^3 x - 44 = 3^4 = 81 x = 125
17^2 = 289
5 - 4 = 1 = 3^0 8 - 5 = 3 = 3^1 17 - 8 = 9 = 3^2 44-17 = 27 = 3^3 X - 44 = 3^4 = 81 X = 125