# Sequence puzzling - what is the next number?

As stated, what's the next number?

71,82,94,94,53,43,62,?

1) hints are already given somewhere in this question!
2) operators aren't necessary involved

• I notice you've attracted a lot of downvotes with no explanation so I figure I'll state this just to help you out: Sequences of numbers with no context are unpopular on the site because there's untold numbers of possible answers and each may be just as valid as the intended solution. You might try elaborating on the riddle part to make the puzzle more inviting. – Kingrames Aug 4 '15 at 21:09
• oh the downvotes! yeah I will try to add more to the question, thanks Kingrames – Alex Aug 4 '15 at 21:20
• fitting to a 6th degree polynomial curve... – Going hamateur Aug 4 '15 at 21:43

The next number is

41

Len has already found out that the numbers correspond to

the letters in the word "puzzling".

But they are encoded:

Each letter is encoded as the number key on a phone that it is on plus the index of that letter among the three or four letters on that key. For example, P is the first letter on the 7 key and is encoded as 71. The whole sequence is:

P 7 Pqrs 71
U 8 tUv 82
Z 9 wxyZ 94
Z 9 wxyZ 94
L 5 jkL 53
I 4 ghI 43
N 6 mNo 62
G 4 Ghi 41

Thanks to Len, who provided the key insight in his answer.

• We've a winner! – Alex Aug 5 '15 at 14:24

Partial answer. Using Hint 1 and the title, the next number is:

approximately 39 because the sequence represents the word PUZZLING.
OP sequence = 71 82 94 94 53 43 62 ?Letters = P U Z Z L I N GASCII code = 80 85 90 90 76 73 78 71

However, this transformation from the OP sequence to ASCII is not quite right as shown here:

• the word puzzling is correct! But I don't get how 39 fits in as ascii thou? – Alex Aug 5 '15 at 14:26