# Number Series - 1,20,171

$1,20,171,?,9625,57756,288775$

Please find the missing number in the series.

I have already tried with squares, cubes and progressions but couldn't find the problem.

Starting with $1$, you proceed as follows:

Add $1$, and multiply the result by $10$.

This gives you $20$.

Subtract $1$, and multiply the result by $9$.

This gives you $171$.

Add $1$, and multiply the result by $8$.

This gives you $1376$.

Subtract $1$, and multiply by $7$.

This gives you $9625$. Etc.

How do you get to this result?

Look at the last three numbers given. If you take the ratio of the last two values ($288775/57756$), you get a result very close to $5$. If you take the ratio $57756/9625$ You get a result very close to $6$. From there on it's just some fiddling...

• Awesome!!....missed taking the ratios! – G.One Jan 3 '15 at 9:44

Let

$$1=a_1$$, $$20=a_2$$, etc $$\ldots$$

then

it seems like for some number $$n$$ that belongs to the group of numbers $$\{1,2,3,\ldots\}$$ (i.e. a natural number),

we have that

$$a_{n+1}-a_n$$ is prime!

$$a_2-a_1=20-1=19\tag{n=1}$$ $$a_3-a_2=171-20=151\tag{n=2}$$ Skipping $$n=3$$ because of that unknown number, $$a_4-a_3=57756-9625=48131\tag{n=4}$$ $$a_5-a_4=288775-57756=231019\tag{n=5}$$

Let

the $$m^\text{th}$$ prime number be denoted as $$p_m$$,

then we have

a pattern! $$19,151,(a_3-a_2), 48131, 231019$$ $$\Downarrow$$ $$p_8, p_{36}, (a_3-a_2), p_{4957}, p_{20524}$$ And now the pattern becomes $$8, 36, ?, 4957, 20524$$

But I can't find a pattern. One thing I noticed is that

$$4957=\left(44-3^3\right)^3+44$$ and the close similarity, $$36 = \left(29-3^3\right)^3+29-1$$ (and, something pretty cool: $$37^2=\left(38-3^3\right)^3+38$$).

But, although similar, they do not match quite enough for me to say they belong to a kind of pattern. Overall, however, it is remarkably interesting :P

• hmm...nice try! – G.One Dec 8 '18 at 7:40