which number best completes the sequence 1 1 3 2 4 6 5 25

[Carm]

First 1
3x3=9-5=4+1=5*5=25-5=20+1=21*21=441-5=436
Start with 3,square, subtract 5, add 1, repeat

Second
2+4=6-2=3+5=8-2=6+6=12-2=10
+x , -2, +(x+1), -2, +(x+2), -2,+(x+3), -2

x=4

[Carm]

Ken Sp. If you dont mind, what is this for?

Carm

[Carthaigh]

9

[Ken Sp.]

Carm--choices on number 2 were 2, 15, 18, 32, 28?

A good friend took this test yesterday, and he knows l like these things so he forwarded some to me--and I was stumped on these 3. It may be due to the late hour--and at 50 years old--it has been awhile since I have done these.

Thanks again so much...Once I see your sequence--I kick myself--since it is now so clear :-)

[Racer X]

bleem. it is the number between 6 and 7.

[mikebw]

[quote Carm]
Second
2+4=6-2=3+5=8-2=6+6=12-2=10
+x , -2, +(x+1), -2, +(x+2), -2,+(x+3), -2

x=4
Pretty sure that 6-2 =4.

[mikebw]

2 6 3 8 6 12

Plus 4, minus 3, plus 5, minus 2, plus 6, minus 1? Just increase the number to be added by 1 every time, and decrease the number to be subtracted every time. And what to do after you get to 11...

That doesn't give a number from your '2, 15, 18, 32, 28' list of choices either. Hmm.

[Carm]

Yeah, I messed up when I was working the problem

Cant get the second one though.
2 6 3 8 6 12
2+4=6-3=3+5=8-2=6+6=12-1=11
+4, -3,+5, -2,+6, -1 <-is this last number right?

¿Possible answers: 2, 15, 18, 32, 28¿

EDIT: mikebw. Looking at the problem. Its adding positive one to both the negative and positive number. So after 11 it would be 18
2+4=6-3=3+5=8-2=6+6=12-1=11+7=18
+4,-3,+5,-2,+6,-1,+7,0,+8,+1

+4+1=5
-3+1=-2

Carm

[mikebw]

ahh, but we still can't get 18 to follow 12 immediately. Perhaps Ken Sp. forgot to include the 11 in his sequence?

[estnyc]

This was a celebrated question from where I once went to school:

14, 18, 23, 28, 34, 42, 50, 59, 66, 72, 79, 86, ?, ?, ?, ?