Sequence Question

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Stuart 0366
    Top Poster +
    • Sep 2009
    • 206

    #1

    Sequence Question

    This is a difficult one if the second number in the sequence isn't a typo so here goes:

    4, 14, 52, 204

    What is the next in the sequence and why?

    (A 10 yr old girl will be very happy if we can help with this)
    Virgin Tivo 500Gb
  • yamar1
    DK Veteran
    • Sep 2008
    • 970

    #2
    iv ne idea???
    Faster than Faster

    Comment

    • cM iPro v3
      Top Poster +
      • Dec 2008
      • 213

      #3
      send .: JaCkPoT :. a PM about this one he is very good with numbers and he should know and that is a bit of a hard question for a 10 yr old dont you think?
      The statement below is False
      The statement above is True
      Which one is correct
      I am the fish geek

      Comment

      • Mr Pumpy
        DK Veteran
        • Jan 2009
        • 1467

        #4
        Either the numbers are wrong or your daughter goes to school at NASA.
        I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I do not know the answer.

        Comment

        • Stuart 0366
          Top Poster +
          • Sep 2009
          • 206

          #5
          I agree, for a mathematician it is difficult never mind a 10 yr old

          I honestly think there is a typo in the problem but but it would throw the whole thing out anyway
          Virgin Tivo 500Gb

          Comment

          • Stuart 0366
            Top Poster +
            • Sep 2009
            • 206

            #6
            Originally posted by Mr Pumpy
            Either the numbers are wrong or your daughter goes to school at NASA.
            Cheers mate but not my daughter
            Virgin Tivo 500Gb

            Comment

            • maca
              Mr. DK DJ
              • Feb 2009
              • 6310

              #7
              Originally posted by Stuart 0366
              Cheers mate but not my daughter
              its doing me head in this dose it relate to times of the year.

              Comment

              • Stuart 0366
                Top Poster +
                • Sep 2009
                • 206

                #8
                Don't think so, the closest solution we came up with was x4-4 but it doesn,t work for 14 (4x4-4=12)

                Have asked the girls mother to make sure the teacher gives out the answer!!
                Virgin Tivo 500Gb

                Comment

                • Mr Pumpy
                  DK Veteran
                  • Jan 2009
                  • 1467

                  #9
                  I thought it might have been summat to do with weeks and months or summat like that.

                  Closest my lad got to some kind of sequence was...
                  4x4-2=14
                  14x4-4=52
                  52x4-4=204 blah blah blah
                  I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I do not know the answer.

                  Comment

                  • smithandrewjohn
                    Newbie
                    • Oct 2009
                    • 1

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Stuart 0366
                    This is a difficult one if the second number in the sequence isn't a typo so here goes:

                    4, 14, 52, 204

                    What is the next in the sequence and why?

                    (A 10 yr old girl will be very happy if we can help with this)
                    thats a tricky one really done bit of research the only number sequence i can find that is similar to yours means that 204 is the typo
                    the second-order recurrence

                    s[n] = 4 s[n-1] - s[n-2] (1)

                    arises in many different situations, such as in the sequence of
                    "Lucas Numbers" used in primality tests of Mersenne numbers, and
                    in Heronian triangles, and continued fractions for sqrt(3), and
                    in general anything that involves the Pell equation x^2 - 3y^2 = 4.
                    With the "natural" initial values s[0]=2 and s[1]=4, we have the
                    sequence

                    2 4 14 52 194 724 2702 10084 37634 ...

                    This sequence comprises the integer values of s that satisfy the
                    Pellian equation
                    s^2 - 3r^2 = 4 sounds complicated but is a simple sequence was she given any more detail with the question other than the numbers?

                    Comment

                    • Mr Pumpy
                      DK Veteran
                      • Jan 2009
                      • 1467

                      #11
                      Originally posted by smithandrewjohn
                      thats a tricky one really done bit of research the only number sequence i can find that is similar to yours means that 204 is the typo
                      the second-order recurrence

                      s[n] = 4 s[n-1] - s[n-2] (1)

                      arises in many different situations, such as in the sequence of
                      "Lucas Numbers" used in primality tests of Mersenne numbers, and
                      in Heronian triangles, and continued fractions for sqrt(3), and
                      in general anything that involves the Pell equation x^2 - 3y^2 = 4.
                      With the "natural" initial values s[0]=2 and s[1]=4, we have the
                      sequence

                      2 4 14 52 194 724 2702 10084 37634 ...

                      This sequence comprises the integer values of s that satisfy the
                      Pellian equation
                      s^2 - 3r^2 = 4 sounds complicated but is a simple sequence was she given any more detail with the question other than the numbers?

                      SHE'S A 10 YEAR OLD.
                      I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I do not know the answer.

                      Comment

                      • maca
                        Mr. DK DJ
                        • Feb 2009
                        • 6310

                        #12
                        Originally posted by smithandrewjohn
                        thats a tricky one really done bit of research the only number sequence i can find that is similar to yours means that 204 is the typo
                        the second-order recurrence

                        s[n] = 4 s[n-1] - s[n-2] (1)

                        arises in many different situations, such as in the sequence of
                        "Lucas Numbers" used in primality tests of Mersenne numbers, and
                        in Heronian triangles, and continued fractions for sqrt(3), and
                        in general anything that involves the Pell equation x^2 - 3y^2 = 4.
                        With the "natural" initial values s[0]=2 and s[1]=4, we have the
                        sequence

                        2 4 14 52 194 724 2702 10084 37634 ...

                        This sequence comprises the integer values of s that satisfy the
                        Pellian equation
                        s^2 - 3r^2 = 4 sounds complicated but is a simple sequence was she given any more detail with the question other than the numbers?
                        ffs no wonder kids hate school

                        Comment

                        • Bulld0g
                          V.I.P. Member
                          • Apr 2008
                          • 7158

                          #13
                          is it a chinese menu ?

                          THE TRUTH
                          The Hillsborough Independent Panel. 12/09/12

                          Today's report is black and white.The Liverpool fans were not the cause of the disaster.
                          The panel has quite simply found 'no evidence' in support of allegations of 'exceptional levels of drunkenness, ticketlessness or violence among Liverpool fans' and 'no evidence that fans had conspired to arrive late at the stadium' and 'no evidence that they stole from the dead and dying'.

                          Comment

                          • Stuart 0366
                            Top Poster +
                            • Sep 2009
                            • 206

                            #14
                            Pumpy, that's the closest we got (but the wife is still beavering away)

                            Smithandrewjohn, no other info. The problem as I was told was: 4, 14, 52, 204. What are the next 3 numbers in the sequence? (My question is obviously asking the solution so as to work out the other numbers )

                            Maca, I agree
                            Virgin Tivo 500Gb

                            Comment

                            • Stuart 0366
                              Top Poster +
                              • Sep 2009
                              • 206

                              #15
                              It could be bulldog

                              One of our friends came up with this (if you can work it out)

                              4, 14, 52, 204, 812, 3244, 12972

                              Just remember 4 (Not allowed to say more...orders from the boss )
                              Virgin Tivo 500Gb

                              Comment

                              Working...