weird pattern

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nanase

Junior Member
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Aug 8, 2019
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232
Hello guys, I really need help in seeing the pattern for this one :
circle numbers.jpeg
What I have tried :
I tried seeing if there is any pattern in the outer layer numbers, going clockwise or anti-clockwise, I tried to see if each quadrant number is connected to the outer two numbers also, but seems to fail in doing so. Can anybody give a hint on how to find the correct value of x and y ?

Thank you so much for guidance
 
nanaseailie said:
Hello guys, I really need help in seeing the pattern for this one :
View attachment 34000
What I have tried :
I tried seeing if there is any pattern in the outer layer numbers, going clockwise or anti-clockwise, I tried to see if each quadrant number is connected to the outer two numbers also, but seems to fail in doing so. Can anybody give a hint on how to find the correct value of x and y ?

Thank you so much for guidance
Click to expand...
Please share couple of your failed tries here - we will get some ideas regarding your thoughts.
 

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Subhotosh Khan said:
Please share couple of your failed tries here - we will get some regarding your thoughts.
Click to expand...
From the top going clock wise, I thought of difference of 3 then squaring it, and repeat, it will give x equals to 36, but the the pattern breaks in the south-west quadrant.
Another alternative I tried is difference of 3, then added by the starting number (6). This will give me x equals to 12, but then the pattern breaks in the north-west quadrant.
I'm stuck with the double 4 in the north-west quadrant.
 
Do all the entries have to be integers?
Looking at the top two quadrants think subtraction and then ....
 
You wrote Hello guys, I really need help in seeing the pattern for this one.
What makes you think that there is just one answer?
 
Steven G said:
Do all the entries have to be integers?
Looking at the top two quadrants think subtraction and then ....
Click to expand...
The trouble is:

1: There are infinitely many possible rules that will generate the top two quadrants.

2: You are looking for one that will make x and y be one of the five given pairs.

3: Even then, there could be more than one answer; you're expected to find the one the author might be likely to have chosen.

As I've said for other problems, this isn't really math! When the answer isn't obvious, it's mind-reading.
 
Steven G said:
Do all the entries have to be integers?
Looking at the top two quadrants think subtraction and then ....
Click to expand...
Dr.Peterson said:
The trouble is:

1: There are infinitely many possible rules that will generate the top two quadrants.

2: You are looking for one that will make x and y be one of the five given pairs.

3: Even then, there could be more than one answer; you're expected to find the one the author might be likely to have chosen.

As I've said for other problems, this isn't really math! When the answer isn't obvious, it's mind-reading.
Click to expand...
Oh, those A, B, C, D and E are the choices?!
 
Steven G said:
Oh, those A, B, C, D and E are the choices?!
Click to expand...
That's my interpretation. Of course, it would be very helpful to see the entire original problem, including instructions.

And since it's one of those unpleasant "guess what I'm thinking" puzzles, I'd like to know details of the context (other similar examples, whether some kind of formula or patterns have been discussed recently, whether it is presented as actually being mathematically solvable, and so on.
 
Dr.Peterson said:
That's my interpretation. Of course, it would be very helpful to see the entire original problem, including instructions.

And since it's one of those unpleasant "guess what I'm thinking" puzzles, I'd like to know details of the context (other similar examples, whether some kind of formula or patterns have been discussed recently, whether it is presented as actually being mathematically solvable, and so on.
Click to expand...
that is the whole question sir, there is one additional line what is x^2 - y^2 equals to?
but I guess our problems are really in finding x and y only
 
Dr.Peterson said:
The trouble is:

1: There are infinitely many possible rules that will generate the top two quadrants.

2: You are looking for one that will make x and y be one of the five given pairs.

3: Even then, there could be more than one answer; you're expected to find the one the author might be likely to have chosen.

As I've said for other problems, this isn't really math! When the answer isn't obvious, it's mind-reading.
Click to expand...
noted , the only reason I brought it up here is also for this reason, is there a unique solution to this or not? otherwise I could tell the question giver that you gotta be more specific and this question is BS hahahah
 
Steven G said:
You wrote Hello guys, I really need help in seeing the pattern for this one.
What makes you think that there is just one answer?
Click to expand...
I thought there is a specific pattern because it is a multiple choice question, and only one could be correct.
From the correct answer maybe we can deduce the pattern? but that's the problem I am facing, I couldn't
 
Here is my solution if there were no choices.
Since 4-4=0 and 0 times any real number is 0
Now 6-3=3 and 12*3 = 36. Also 12*0 = 0
So the pattern is to subtract the outer numbers in each quadrant and then multiply by 12 to get the inner number.
 
Steven G said:
Here is my solution if there were no choices.
Since 4-4=0 and 0 times any real number is 0
Now 6-3=3 and 12*3 = 36. Also 12*0 = 0
So the pattern is to subtract the outer numbers in each quadrant and then multiply by 12 to get the inner number.
Click to expand...
I thought of this also, but it won't work to the bottom quadrant looking at the available choices
 
nanaseailie said:
I thought there is a specific pattern because it is a multiple choice question, and only one could be correct.
From the correct answer maybe we can deduce the pattern? but that's the problem I am facing, I couldn't
Click to expand...
Maybe one could find a pattern with exactly one of the given choices, but in the end there are an infinite number of solutions.
 
In the choices, are the 1st number x-values and the 2nd number y-values?
 
Here is a pattern based on the fact that each specified inner number is a perfect square.

Take the difference between the two numbers in the outer layer of each quadrant, double that difference, and square.

[math]\{2(4 - 4)\}^2 = 0.\\ \{2(6 - 3)\}^2 = 36.\\ \{2(9 - x)\}^2 = 64 \implies 2|9 - x| = 8 \implies x = 5 \text { or } 13.\\ \{2(9 - 6)\}^2 = 36. [/math]
13, 36 is AN answer. I am sure that you could dream up other formulas that would work for other pairs. This is so stupid.
 
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nanaseailie said:
that is the whole question sir, there is one additional line what is x^2 - y^2 equals to?
but I guess our problems are really in finding x and y only
Click to expand...
Since JeffM's answer in #18 is built around squares, it's possible that that second part is intended as sort of a hint, by focusing your attention on squares! And you never stated any words as part of the statement of the problem; it is always possible that some subtlety of the wording might suggest something not otherwise visible. I suspect that the wording also would have called attention to the choices and explained that they mean (x,y).

This is why we ask to see an entire problem:

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Post the complete text of the exercise. This would include the full statement of the exercise including the instructions, so the tutors will know what you're working on. Typing exercises word-for-word also helps us identify possible mistakes in class materials. If there's a graphic or table or some other non-textual information necessary, please include a detailed description. You may upload images to our server.​

Ultimately, this is a matter of respect for the people trying to help you.

But the problem, as far as we can tell so far, is defective in that there is never certainty that "the pattern" you find is unique. The term "pattern" is not well-defined. Of course, knowing the problem is a bad one mathematically and pedagogically doesn't help you at all, other than perhaps relieving you of concern that not being able to solve it means you are defective. You are not.
 
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