The number which best completes the sequence below is 2 9 5 13 10 19 17 ?

[Jesta23]

What the fuck.

I am a pretty smart guy, with a much higher education then what is needs for this job. And some of these questions even stumped me. How does any joe schmo answer these things right?

The worst one I saw was .
The Number Which Best Completes The Sequence Below Is:1 1 3 2 4 6 5 25?

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27
square the number, add 2,subtract 1, square the number... etc..
How is someone supposed to find that pattern when only given 7 numbers to work off of? Who other then a college student would even think to find the square portion of this pattern?

Did you figure it out? Keep in mind the test was 140 questions long and your only given an hour to do it. So you have less then a minute each question to figure it out.

[fohfoh]

I recall seeing this and how you do it is you find the differences between numbers and find a sequence that goes with it. So for the title...

+7,-4,+8,-3,+9,-2

See a pattern?

Though I can't figure out what it is... basic logic says the next number should be +10 and the one after is -1. And by pattern I mean algebraic formula.

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+0, +2, -1, +2, +2, -1, + 20 ... +2, -1 repeats, but 0, 2, 20 don't. So you have to figure something else out. (usually weird number spreads are always exponents or roots

By the way, I'm in no ways a mathy guy. The highest I've gotten in math since high school and post secondary (calculus etc.) was a 70%. (Everything else was in the 50s to 60s)

Seriously I've never seen the sequence, didn't recall high school math until I figured it out.

Idk... in my mind I just went, "How is it different", "By what is it different", "Why is it different", "What causes the differences"

Or something like that. My mind isn't very efficient.

[Jesta23]

Thats the point, I am a "mathy" kind of guy, and some of these even gave me pause.

I'm applying for a entry level position, that pays about 1/3 of what I'm currently making. The only reason I am trying to get this job is because they will work around my class schedule and pay 90% of tuition and books.

So my point is, if its somewhat challenging for someone completely overqualified, how can the average person that would normally apply for this job stand any chance?
Maybe they are only looking for people like me though, that are only in it to get finished in school.

[fohfoh]

I recall seeing sequences like these on IQ tests that I've randomly been doing since like... elementary school. I figured out some of these using the "problem solving modules" in grade 5 and 6. 99% of the time, these things are full of crap. Some of them make use of info that you learned when young but don't remember it. (ie: long division, number sequences, random knowledge etc.)

But seriously sometimes employers do this to see what types of questions you got right, or what logic you came to try and derive the information to try and test to see how you tried, and whether or not you have the basic deduction skills to be "taught".

[MammalSauce]

Don't you learn patterns in like the sixth grade?

[fohfoh]

Don't you learn patterns in like the sixth grade?

So sue me if I've been learning them earlier.

And to clarify the above... My mind went all skipping and shit. I was talking about IQ tests in the latter and how employers may have people do them to see how they react. I think  it's some stupid testing shit I learned in HR class.

[MammalSauce]

Don't you learn patterns in like the sixth grade?

So sue me if I've been learning them earlier.

And to clarify the above... My mind went all skipping and shit. I was talking about IQ tests in the latter and how employers may have people do them to see how they react. I think  it's some stupid testing shit I learned in HR class.

Wasn't necessarily directed at you. I was just trying to point out how basic these things are.

[fohfoh]

Wasn't necessarily directed at you. I was just trying to point out how basic these things are.

Ah ok, my bad. Misinterpreted from the quotes.

[Jesta23]

ok mammasauce, Ill give you a pattern, you give me the answer.


1 9 3 8 16 4 9

Im feeling nice so I came up with a second one as well.

2 6 42 1806 3263442

[muesli]

ok mammasauce, Ill give you a pattern, you give me the answer.


1 9 3 8 16 4 9

Im feeling nice so I came up with a second one as well.

2 6 42 1806 3263442

am i allowed to say the answer..?

[fohfoh]

ok mammasauce, Ill give you a pattern, you give me the answer.


1 9 3 8 16 4 9

Im feeling nice so I came up with a second one as well.

2 6 42 1806 3263442

am i allowed to say the answer..?

Just put it in spoilers

[Jesta23]

am i allowed to say the answer..?

The second one is probably to easy, but i thought the first one would take some time to figure out. If you got them, then im guessing he does aswell.

[muesli]

1 9 3 8 16 4 9

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17
the pattern is +8 root +5
1+8=9

3+5=8
8+8=16

4+5=9
9+8=17

2 6 42 1806 3263442

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1,06501E+13
pattern: current number + current number squared






lol i guess i put too much effort in it..

[fohfoh]

What the hell is wrong with your font? It goes like... all 1980s on you when you open the spoiler.

[muesli]

What the hell is wrong with your font? It goes like... all 1980s on you when you open the spoiler.

if you mean the first spoiler.. idk what's wrong with the font there.

i just used mimetex in both spoilers..

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with that you can graphically represent your formulas. for example it would be really hard to write that..
(please just click to see the image)       
in normal text.

edit: idk what's wrong.. the image tag automatically inserts width and height with wrong values

[Jesta23]

wow that weird you came up with a solution that works, but isn't what I had.

For the second one I did it like this

2*3 =6
6*7 = 42
42*43 = 1806
1806*1807 = 3263442

[Sebur]

1 9 3 8 16 4 9

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17
the pattern is +8 root +5
1+8=9

3+5=8
8+8=16

4+5=9
9+8=17

2 6 42 1806 3263442

(click to show/hide)

1,06501E+13
pattern: current number + current number squared






lol i guess i put too much effort in it..

Hmm I thought these patterns had to be solvable with the same formula for every number. For example Xn = X(n-1) + (X(n-1))^2 for the second one.

[fohfoh]

1 9 3 8 16 4 9

(click to show/hide)

17
the pattern is +8 root +5
1+8=9

3+5=8
8+8=16

4+5=9
9+8=17

2 6 42 1806 3263442

(click to show/hide)

1,06501E+13
pattern: current number + current number squared






lol i guess i put too much effort in it..

Hmm I thought these patterns had to be solvable with the same formula for every number. For example Xn = X(n-1) + (X(n-1))^2 for the second one.

Certain patterns are exactly the same even if the formula looks different.

[muesli]

1 9 3 8 16 4 9

(click to show/hide)

17
the pattern is +8 root +5
1+8=9

3+5=8
8+8=16

4+5=9
9+8=17

2 6 42 1806 3263442

(click to show/hide)

1,06501E+13
pattern: current number + current number squared






lol i guess i put too much effort in it..

Hmm I thought these patterns had to be solvable with the same formula for every number. For example Xn = X(n-1) + (X(n-1))^2 for the second one.

i guess for the first one there won't be a formula

ok a stupid one: what's next?
3 1 4 1 5

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it is 9 (pi). whatever..

[temuchin]

27.   

 +7 -4 +8 -3 +9 -2 +10
2 9  5 13 10 19 17 27


love those math problems.   post up some really challenging ones.