document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1159435>Question 1159435</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> What is this pattern\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2, ?, ?, 23, ?, 37<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #782460 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=782460\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "It is three steps from 2 to 23, a difference of 21 = 3*7; and it is 2 steps from 23 to 37, a difference of 14 = 2*7.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So it MIGHT BE that this is simply an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of 7:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 37<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "However, as tutor @ikleyn said in her response, in ANY question like this you can put ANY numbers in the blanks and it will be a valid sequence.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the problem asked you to fill in the missing numbers in an arithmetic sequence, then you could solve the problem knowing that your answer was correct.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "But when the problem only says \"what is the pattern\", then you can only guess what the answer is supposed to be.<br><BR>\n" );
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