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

well... it's easy to see a couple patterns

first of all, 88-63 = 25, 25-9 = 16...

and that's where that pattern stops

If one takes the Largest number in all the arrows pointing up, and subtracts from it the second largest, one gets the smallest of the 3 numbers... all except for 16,18,38

88-63 = 25, 25-16 = 9, somethin' funky, 33-18 = 15, if x = 17 then 32-17 = 15 and 17-12 = 5

with this to show for my line of thinking, it suggests that i am perhaps barking up the wrong tree, only seeing the obvious when there's something more there... aaaaaaanyway, there's my thinking, hope it helps someone maybe

Posted by Joe Ruby on 2004-12-16 21:29:02