2
$\begingroup$

During an online assessment I came across a task where I needed to continue sequences. These two still puzzle me!

  1. 4 2 3 6.5 16 44

Options: 137, 142, 129, 132, 133

  1. 2 2 3 4 5 8 8

Options: 14, 17, 16, 12, 13

Author(s) of these questions are unknown to me. The company was Optiver.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
4
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Welcome to PSE (Puzzling Stack Exchange)! $\endgroup$
    – Will.Octagon.Gibson
    Commented Nov 21 at 1:19
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ Can you please provide the website address of this online assessment? $\endgroup$
    – Will.Octagon.Gibson
    Commented Nov 21 at 1:20
  • $\begingroup$ It is an internal platform of a company I applied to, it is protected by login and password, so Idk how useful it is to provide the link. $\endgroup$
    – user97592
    Commented Dec 6 at 8:58
  • $\begingroup$ Were these interview questions or something? $\endgroup$
    – bobble
    Commented Dec 6 at 14:24

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
3
$\begingroup$

The first puzzle

There is a multiplication which goes up .5 starting from .5 each term and an addition which goes up 1 starting from 0.

So we have

4x0.5 then +0, 2x1 then +1, 3x1.5 then +2, 6.5x2 then +3, 16x2.5 then + 4, 44x3 then +5

44x3 + 5 = 137

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Please do not answer questions which are off-topic per our attribution policy; that policy is in place to prevent cheating and plagiarism. (You must know this, right? You've been here a while.) $\endgroup$
    – bobble
    Commented Nov 21 at 14:44
0
$\begingroup$
  1. A straightforward way to recognize an integer sequence is to look for it at the on-line encyclopedia of integer sequences. The search for your sequence yielded three answers, but only one of them fits the options.

This is the sequence A240011, whose members are the numbers of partitions of $n$, where the difference between the number of odd parts and the number of even parts is $2$.

It provides the next term $13$.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Please do not answer questions which are off-topic per our attribution policy; that policy is in place to prevent cheating and plagiarism. $\endgroup$
    – bobble
    Commented Nov 21 at 14:44
0
$\begingroup$

There are two patterns in the sequence.

One of its odd members and one of its even members.

The odd members are consecutive Fibonacci numbers.

The even members are consecutive powers of $2$.

The next member is even.

So it is the next power of $2$, that is $16$.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Please do not answer questions which are off-topic per our attribution policy; that policy is in place to prevent cheating and plagiarism. $\endgroup$
    – bobble
    Commented Nov 21 at 14:44

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.