Puzzle 1
What number comes next in this sequence:
1 3 6 11 18 ?
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Hint
The sequence is related to prime numbers.
Answer
29.
Each term increases by the next prime number.
Puzzle 2
Can you find three consecutive odd numbers that …
… total 7,644,585 when multiplied together?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try starting with the cube root of the number.
Answer
195 x 197 x 199.
Reasoning
Since we're after three numbers that multiply together, a good place to start is the cube root of 7,644,585, which is roughly 196.99.
Let's try dividing by the closest odd number to 196.99:
7644585 ÷ 197 = 38805
We're now after whole divisors of 38,805, so trying either odd number either side of 197 might work.
Trying either 195 or 199 gives the answer.
Double-Checking
195 x 197 x 199 = 7,644,585
Note
Trying the closest odd number to the cube root always works, and the other two numbers are the odd numbers either side.
Puzzle 3
Without using any reference material can you find the hidden countries?
In each case, the letter indicates the first letter of the country in question, the number represents the number of letters in the country.
For example, E7 would be England.
B10 E5 F4 F7 J5 L13 N9 S11 T7 Z6
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The first country is Bangladesh.
Answer
Bangladesh, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Nicaragua, Switzerland, Tunisia, Zambia.
Puzzle 4
What number comes next in this sequence:
1 23 124 1251 26127 128129 ?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try removing the spaces from the sequence.
Answer
1301311 or 1210121.
Reasoning
Removing spaces from the original sequence gives:
1 23 124 1251 26127 128129
123124125126127128129
Now adding spaces back in, in the correct place:
123 124 125 126 127 128 129
The next few terms could be:
130 131 132
or
1210 1211 1212
Add these to the end:
123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132
or
123 124 125 126 127 128 129 1210 1211 1212
Remove the spaces again:
123124125126127128129130131132
or
123124125126127128129121012111212
Now break the sequence into chunks of increasing size:
1 23 124 1251 26127 128129 1301311
or
1 23 124 1251 26127 128129 1210121
So the missing term is 1301311 or 1210121.