What number comes next in this pattern?

[KB]

question 3

Look at this series: 75, 65, 85, 55, __, 85, 35 , ...


I say it is B
I think it goes:

85, X - (1 * 10), X - (2 * 10), 85, X - (3 * 10) , X - (4 * 10), 85, X - (5 * 10)
85, (85 - 10) = 75, (85 - 20) = 65, 85, (85 - 30) = 55, (85 - 40) = 45 , 85, (85 - 50) = 35 , ... next would be (85 - 60) = 25

What number should fill the blank?
A. 25
B. 45
C. 65
D. 85

 

[palswim]

For these word problems, the words don't follow a "logical progression" - that messed me up for a bit. Each word follows a pattern; there is no "next" word, just another word which follows the same pattern.

 

[HumblePie]

Originally posted by: palswim
For these word problems, the words don't follow a "logical progression" - that messed me up for a bit. Each word follows a pattern; there is no "next" word, just another word which follows the same pattern.

a pattern is a logical progression. Logic means something bound by a set of rules. Be that a forumla, or a pattern, or something as simple as no running in the hallway.

The fun part about the word problems is they aren't really math oriented. Most guys I know typically are, but not all. I'm personally a big picture pattern person first, then a math problem solver. Meaning I look for the easy obvious patterns that don't need some huge forumla to derive the answer from. Sure sure, sometimes you can make up some massive polynomial to do some of these, but it's easier to just recognize patterns as patterns.