# Find the missing number in the series: 253, 495, 143,?

Find the missing number in given series: $253, 495, 143, ?$

• $152$
• $105$
• $903$
• $374$

Okay, so I'll tell you what I could do:

The first number is $16^2-1$ third number is $12^2-1.$

Moreover, the differences are: $+242,-352.$ So my next attempt was to do $+462$. But none of the options are correct then.

• Actually, the first number is $16^2 - 3$. – Joe Z. Dec 12 '15 at 8:43
• Oh yea, sorry meant that only. – Aditya Agarwal Dec 12 '15 at 8:57

There is an obvious pattern which suggests an answer

In each of the numbers given, the middle digit is the sum of the first and last digits, so this suggests that the answer is d) 374 as that is the only one which fits the pattern.

However these four numbers don't form a series.

I do these Our question is $253,495,143$ we have to find the next number so,

For $253$ here

when we add $2+3=5$ that is our number $253$

For $495$

$4+5=9$

And for $143$

$1+3=4$

So option $374$ is right because these follow the rule that is when we add the other two numbers it is equal to the middle number.

• Please take the tour of this site and get to know about it. And also try to use Mathjax in the answers you post. And please try to use spoilers too so that the answer for other users who are trying to solve the puzzle remains a mystery. :) – manshu May 7 '16 at 7:28