A strange sequence

Algebra Level 2

0 1 4 10 20 35 x y \boxed{0 \quad 1\quad 4\quad 10\quad 20\quad 35\quad x\quad y\quad}

Find the value of x*y


The answer is 4704.

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4 solutions

Hung Woei Neoh
May 30, 2016

Another way to write this is:

a n = a n 1 + x = 1 n 1 x , n 2 , a 1 = 0 a_n = a_{n-1} + \displaystyle \sum_{x=1}^{n-1} x, \; n \geq 2,\; a_1 = 0

x = a 7 = a 6 + x = 1 6 x = 35 + 6 ( 7 ) 2 = 35 + 21 = 56 x=a_7\\ =a_6 + \displaystyle \sum_{x=1}^6 x\\ =35+\dfrac{6(7)}{2}\\ =35+21\\ =56

y = a 8 = a 7 + x = 1 7 x = 56 + 7 ( 8 ) 2 = 56 + 28 = 84 y=a_8\\ =a_7 + \displaystyle \sum_{x=1}^7 x\\ =56+\dfrac{7(8)}{2}\\ =56+28\\ =84

x × y = 56 × 84 = 4704 x \times y = 56 \times 84 = \boxed{4704}

Matteo Monzali
May 30, 2016

The sequence follows the rule: a n = n ( n + 1 ) ( n + 2 ) 6 a_n=\frac{n\cdot (n+1)\cdot(n+2)}{6} So the missing terms are 56 and 84, 56*84=4704

Another way could be to find the differences between two consecutives terms, they are 1 , 3 , 6 , 10 , 15... 1, 3, 6, 10, 15... that are the sums from 1 to n

Or recursively: a n = n 2 + a n 2 , n > 1 a_n=n^2+a_{n-2},~~n>1 ( a 0 = 0 , a 1 = 1 ) (a_0=0,a_1=1)

RoYal Abhik - 5 years ago
Ashish Menon
May 30, 2016

Conaecutively, a triangular number is being added to the next term. So, the first unknown term is 35 + 21 = 56 35 + 21 = 56 and the next one is 56 + 28 = 84 56 + 28 = 84 .
So, x × y = 56 × 84 = 4704 x × y = 56 × 84 = \color{#69047E}{\boxed{4704}} .

Finn C
Jun 1, 2016

I think the easiest way is finding the difference:

0, 1, 4, 10, 20, 35, x x , y y

Difference:

(1 - 0), (4 - 1), (10 - 4), (20 - 10), (35 - 20)

= 1, 3, 6, 10, 15

Next 2 terms are:

1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21 , 28

21 + 35 = 56

56 + 28 = 84

x x ( y y ) = 56 (84) = 4704

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