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#1 2006-02-26 17:29:35
- Jai Ganesh
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- Registered: 2005-06-28
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Progression Puzzle
The winner of the giant $ 1,000 puzzle contest is Mrs. Winifred Spellright
12, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, _ , _ , _ , _
It seems that the other contestants in our annual puzzle contest are not taking the good fortune of Winifred Spellright very well. The puzzle was to figure out what the next four numbers should be in the progression puzzle given above. Get your handkerchiefs ready, you have only five minutes to solve this one.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#2 2006-02-26 19:52:44
- MathsIsFun
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- Registered: 2005-01-21
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Re: Progression Puzzle
I detect a hint of Fibonacci ...
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#3 2006-02-26 20:10:31
- Jai Ganesh
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- Registered: 2005-06-28
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Re: Progression Puzzle
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#4 2006-02-27 05:33:51
- Ricky
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- Registered: 2005-12-04
- Posts: 3,791
Re: Progression Puzzle
I detect a hint of Fibonacci ...
You shouldn't Fib like that, MathIsFun...
That 12 really through me off Ganesh, but I think I finally got it:
1, 4, 1, 5
I'll leave it to others to find the next 4 numbers, it really is a great puzzle sequence.
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
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#5 2006-02-27 08:11:34
- mathsyperson
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- Registered: 2005-06-22
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Re: Progression Puzzle
Well, now that I've seen Ricky's numbers, the next 4 are presumably 1, 6, 1, 7.
But I don't see how the 12 fits in.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
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#6 2006-02-27 16:52:33
- Jai Ganesh
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- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,424
Re: Progression Puzzle
Well done, Ricky! And mathsyperson too! 
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#7 2006-02-28 09:29:07
- Ricky
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- Registered: 2005-12-04
- Posts: 3,791
Re: Progression Puzzle
mathyperson, think circle, as in never ending.
That will only make sense if you understand the reason to the sequence.
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
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#8 2006-02-28 16:40:34
- Jai Ganesh
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- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,424
Re: Progression Puzzle
Good clue, Ricky! 
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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