Number

Series

QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE

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Number Series
In number series problems a series of certain numbers are given which follows certain
pattern. We have to identify that pattern to answer the question.

Types of Series

Prime number series

Example : 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19

Addition series
Example : 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 (Here, addition of 4 is done in consecutive numbers)

Difference series
Example : 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 (Here, subtraction of 2 is done in consecutive num-
bers)

Double difference series

Double difference series

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Multiplication series
Example : 1, 3, 9, 27, 81, 243 (Here, multiplication of 3 is done in consecutive number)

Division series
Example : 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1 (Here, division of 2 is done in consecutive num-
bers)

n2 series
Example : 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49 (Here, square of consecutive numbers are taken)

(n2 ± 1) series
Example : 1, 5, 10, 17, 26, 37, 50 (Here, square of consecutive numbers are taken and
1 is added in each term)
Example : 1, 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, 48 (Here, square of consecutive numbers are taken and 1
is subtracted from each term)

(n2 ± n) series
Example : 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56 (Here, square of consecutive numbers are taken and
the same number is added to the resultant number)
Example : 0, 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42 (Here, square of consecutive numbers are taken and
the same number is subtracted from resultant number)

n3 series
Example : 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343 (Here, cube of consecutive numbers are taken)

(n3 ± 1) series
Example : 1, 9, 28, 65, 126, 217, 344 (Here, cube of consecutive numbers are taken
and 1 is added in each term)
Example : 1, 7, 26, 63, 124, 215, 342 (Here, cube of consecutive numbers are taken
and 1 is subtracted from each term)

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(n3 ± n) series
Example : 2, 10, 30, 68, 130, 222, 350 (Here, cubes of consecutive numbers are taken
and the same number is added to the resultant number)
Example : 0, 6, 24, 60, 120, 210, 336 (Here, cubes of consecutive numbers are taken
and the same number is subtracted from resultant number)

Alternate number series

Example : 10, 8, 12, 11, 14, 14, 16, 17
Here,

Missing Number Series

In this, a series of certain numbers are given which follows certain pattern. We have to
identify that pattern and find the missing number of the series.

Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
8, 15, ?, 50, 78, 113
A. The series follows the following pattern:
8 + 7 = 15
15 + 14 = 29
29 + 21 = 50
50 + 28 = 78
78 + 35 = 113
∴ The required term will be 29.

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Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
21, 21.5, ?, 25.5, 29, 33.5
A.

∴ The required term will be 23.

Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
76, 80, 71, 87, ?, 98
A. The series follows the following pattern:
76 + 22 = 80
80 – 32 = 71
71 + 42 = 87
87 – 52 = 62
62 + 62 = 98
∴ The required term in the series will be 62.

Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
23, 535, 486, 702, 677, 741, ?
A. The series follows the following pattern:
23 + (8)3 = 535
535 – (7)2 = 486
486 + (6)3 = 702
702 – (5)2 = 677
677 + (4)3 = 741
741 – (3)2 = 732
∴ The next term in the series will be 732.

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Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
45, 139, 561, 2811, 16873, ?
A. The series follows the following pattern:
45 × 3 + 4 = 139
139 × 4 + 5 = 561
561 × 5 + 6 = 2811
2811 × 6 + 7 = 16873
16873 × 7 + 8 = 118119
∴ The next term in the series will be 118119

Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
16, 40, 140, 630, 3465, ?
A. The series follows the following pattern:
16 × 2.5 = 40
40 × 3.5 = 140
140 × 4.5 = 630
630 × 5.5 = 3465
3465 × 6.5 = 22522.5
∴ The next term in the series will be 22522.5

Q. What should come in place of the question mark ‘?’ in the following number
series?
72, 108, 216, 540, ?
A. The pattern of the above series is as follows,
72 × 1 = 72
72 × 1.5 = 108
108 × 2 = 216
216 × 2.5 = 540
540 × 3 = 1620
∴ The next term in the series will be 1620

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Q. What should come in place of the question mark ‘?’ in the following number
series?
1680, 210, 30, 5, ?, 0.25
A. 1680/8 = 210
210/7 = 30
30/6 = 5
5/5 = 1
1/4 = 0.25
∴ The next term in the series will be 1

Q. Select the option that will correctly fill in the blank and complete the following
series.
37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, ?

A. Given series is a series of consecutive prime numbers starting from 39.

The prime number immediately after 59 is 61.
Hence, 61 will complete the series.

Q. A series is given with one term missing. Select the correct alternative from the
given ones that will complete the series.
2, 5, 11, 17, ?
A. The series is of alternate prime numbers. After 17 next prime number is 19 and after
19 the next prime number is 23. So in the series after 17 the next number will be 23.

Thus the next number in the series is 23.

Wrong Number Series

In this, a series of certain numbers are given which follows certain pattern. We have to
identify that pattern and find the wrong number that is not following that pattern in the
series.

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Q. Find the wrong number in the given series.

37, 43, 55, 73, 99, 127

A. The series follows the following pattern:

37 + 6 = 43
43 + 12 = 55
55 + 18 = 73
73 + 24 = 97
97 + 30 = 127
∴ The wrong term in the given series is 99.

Q. What should come in place of the question mark '?' in the following number
series?
226, 230, 238, 254, 286, ?
A. The series follows the following pattern:
226 + 4 = 230
230 + 8 = 238
238 + 16 = 254
254 + 32 = 286
286 + 64 = 350
∴ The wrong term in the series will be 350.

Q. In the following number series one number is wrong. Find out wrong number.
1, 3, 6, 24, 120, 720, 5040

A. 1 × 2 = 2
2×3=6
6 × 4 = 24
24 × 5 = 120
120 × 6 = 720
720 × 7 = 5040
∴ The wrong term in the series will be 2.

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Q. Find the wrong number in the given series.

33, 133, 400, 800, 802, 1

A. The series follows the following pattern:

33 × 4 + 1 = 133
133 × 3 + 1 = 400
400 × 2 + 1 = 801
801 × 1 + 1 = 802
800 × 0 + 1 = 1
∴ The wrong term in the given series is 800

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