Question

Hey, can anyone find the pattern hidden in this series of numbers?
3, -6, 12, 4, 20, ?
What would be the next number?!!!!

Answer 1

No one?

Answer 2

The series is not geometric, and doesn't seem to have enough outputs for wolfram to see a pattern

Answer 3

I was asked this while I was tutoring on tutor.com and I felt so retarded when I had no answer for the customer. I thought maybe I was going crazy, because I see no discernible pattern at all. Thanks for the confirmation!

Answer 4

Thanks, also, for taking the time!

Answer 5

I'm sure you could figure out a pattern, but more terms might be needed

Answer 6

13

Answer 7

Gotcha! That's all she posted, so I thought maybe there was an error in her typing, or something!

Answer 8

Ok, how did you get 13, @OOOPS

Answer 9

@Opps, I'll leave it to you

Answer 10

Please enlighten me!

Answer 11

3-9 =-6, then -6+18= 12 the first couple (-9,+18)
12-8=4 , then 4+16 = 20 (the second couple (-8,16)
so the third one should be 20-7=13, then 13+14 =27 to have the third couple is (-7,14) as the series works in previous

Answer 12

Does it make sense?

Answer 13

I'm looking at it trying to make sense of it now. Wow! And thanks!

Answer 14

hihihi if it doesn't, I don't know how to do.

Answer 15

I can sort of see it, although it's quite mixed up, isn't it! I never in a billion years would have gotten that one! Eeeek!

Answer 16

Is there a certain method to finding the patterns to numbers? Any great clues or tips?

Answer 17

just experience, I used to work on repeating series, like
12112111211112..... and I have to figure out the rule. It was nightmare. hihihi...