MATH STINGER #5 
by Dr. Joel C. Fowler 
Assistant Professor of Mathematics 

Find the missing term in each of the following: 

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ? 

-1, 0, 2, ?, 9, 14, 20, 27 

4, 8, 5, 10, 7, 14, 11, ? 

3, 4, 2, 5, 1, 6, 0, 7, ? 

?, 39, 38, 19, 18, 9, 8, 4, 2, 1, 0 

Strictly speaking almost any answer is possible to the above puzzles since a rule can be made to fit any finite number 
of sequence terms. For example, the next term in the sequence 2, 4, 8, could be a) 16 if one is thinking of powers of 2, 
or b) 14 if one is thinking of the formula n(n-1)+2 for the nth term. It would be more clear to say: Find the simplest or 
most logical missing term in the above sequences (although even these are subjective judgements). In giving answers 
you should the rule you inferred for the terms.

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