Math Is Fun Forum

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Figure Out This Number Series??

This is related to something I'm working on, I need to figure out the number series in the images I posted below.

It seems as though the number string here follows a simple pattern of gradual variation as it goes on (ie there is a repeat of the same set of numbers about twice then the string slowly varies one or two digits at a time)

I don't believe this to be an extremely difficult problem, I'm just having trouble seeing the pattern.

ABOUT THE IMAGES:
I have randomly selected two sample from a string of millions of numbers, I organized the samples into columns for easier viewing but essentially you can read the numbers as one continuous string read from TOP to BOTTOM (each image is a different string but follow the same patter of variation that we are trying to figure out here). And so, for example in the first image, the BOTTOM of column M continues to the TOP of column N.

Feel free to post questions about this if everything isn't clear.
Also the images are also available as an Excel file, let me know if anyone wants it.

Last edited by avimcg (2007-11-07 07:36:49)

martin vlatovich

Guest

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

I've figured the problem out...it was really rather easy.

But what do I get for the answer?

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

lol. Oh come on, isn't that the point of the "Help Me!" forum.

=P

Can I have the answer now? How about a "please" and "thank you" 

???

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

Ok so turns out a friend on here was playing a practical joke on me, and so no one has solved this yet.

Happy Puzzling

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

It appears to be some variation of the Luhn check digits.  Either that, or it certainly doesn't start from 0.

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"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..."

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

So that Ricky's comment above makes sense to everyone here....I include this added description of the problem...

I was asked...what do these numbers represent?

My Response:

they essentially don't represent anything. this comes from an archaic book of unique "designation terms" that would be used to designate between a large inventory of....well whatever (ie each item in would be assigned a unique reference "designation term", the numbers here are the last digit in these "designation terms". all the other digits in the each of these "designation terms" follow a simple pattern that I was able to decipher, only this last digit follows a more complicated pattern.  whoever created this huge old book of "designation terms"probably used a simple algorithm to produce these numbers in large quantity.

Also I thought that....
these numbers' variation have nothing to do with the other digits in these "designation terms" and so you should have all the information you need to figure out this little puzzle.

But based on Ricky's comment above.....

Ricky,
I now know that these are infact check digits, so what you say would make sense. If this is a Luhn formula/algorithm or variation of a Luhn doesn't that imply that you would need the rest of the characters in each "designation term" to solve the puzzle?  Is this correct?

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

I now know that these are infact check digits, so what you say would make sense. If this is a Luhn formula/algorithm or variation of a Luhn doesn't that imply that you would need the rest of the characters in each "designation term" to solve the puzzle?  Is this correct?

What is the puzzle?  "Figure out the significance of this series" is a puzzle, but that ones already been solved.  So what is the question?  You haven't given us one as far as I can tell.

---

"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..."

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

lol.

This book of terms is exactly that, a book. I'm trying to recreate the book in digital form without having to type millions of these terms by hand. And so I need to figure out how to reproduce to aforementioned last digit in these terms, this is what I'm looking for help on...the eventual result would be an algorithm I will write that will do this for me.  Make sense?

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

To do that, I need to see the first 30 terms.

---

"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..."

avimcg

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 7

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

stay tuned. i'll have these up soon, though i don't quite get why it has to be the first, 30 terms

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Figure Out This Number Series??

Because the formula is based on n.  If I am given some random term, I don't know what n even is, so there is no hope in me finding a formula based on n.  However, if I'm given the first term, I know n is 1 (or maybe 0).

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"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..."