The number pattern below is based on a rule. Each number is somehow related to some numbers next to it. For instance, 25 and 9 could have used subtraction to come up with 16. The same simple rule is used for the entire pattern. Find the rule and solve for x.

  63   9  38  33  32  12  
88  25  16  18  15   x   5

(In reply to (Partial) Solution + spoiler by Hugo)

That's also what I came up with. I was going on the assumption that a number need not be related to everything next to it. So, 3 doesn't need to be related to 9, nor 9 to 38, and so on. The problem definition does say 'some numbers' rather than 'all'.

Posted by Eric on 2004-12-16 23:32:07