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Sensible Sequence (Posted on 2003-07-15) Difficulty: 3 of 5
In the following sequence, consisting of positive integers, the first term is a one digit number.

?, ? , 65, 61, 37, 58, 89, 145, ...

A) What is the first term?

B) What is the next term that is a one digit number?

See The Solution Submitted by Gamer    
Rating: 3.5000 (6 votes)

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Solution solution Comment 6 of 6 |

The sequence is the sum of the squares of the digits of the previous term (Sloane A008463).

Except that we are given that the first term of the sequence is a single digit, there are many possible numbers that could begin the sequence:

  33 => 32+32       = 18 => 12+82 = 65...
  57 => 52+72       = 74 => 72+42 = 65...
  75 => 72+52       = 74 => 72+42 = 65...
  90 => 92+02       = 81 => 82+12 = 65...
 744 => 72+42+42    = 81 => 82+12 = 65...
1136 => 12+12+32+62 = 47 => 42+72 = 65...
...


As it is, the sequence of condition begins with: 
9
=> 92 = 81 => 82+12 ...
 and, as given: 65, 61, 37, 58, 89, 145, then continues ... 
     => 12+42+52 = 42  => 42+22 = 20 => 22+02 = 4 ...
Where, following, with the reversal of digits of the number found toward the beginning of the sequence, i.e., 61 reversed is 16, begins a repeated cycle: 16, 37, 58, 89, 145, 42, 20, 4. The 4, then, is the next and only other (repeatedly) single digit number of the sequence.

Edited on November 5, 2008, 10:19 am
  Posted by Dej Mar on 2008-11-05 09:10:09

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