document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1208339>Question 1208339</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Find the next term  5, 14, 17, 30,  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #846700 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><B>ikleyn(52792)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ikleyn><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=ikleyn><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=846700\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> .\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Questions of this form and of this type are mathematically &nbsp;&nbsp;<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight%28highlight%28NONSENSICAL%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight%28highlight%28NONSENSICAL%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "An arbitrary finite sequence of numbers does not indicate the next term <BR>\n" );
document.write( "and does not determine what the next term should be,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "until a special separate procedure, &nbsp;a formula or a rule specifies on how to determine the next term.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Therefore, &nbsp;if and when any witch doctor/(woodoo doctor)/(charlatan) gives you a definite answer - know <BR>\n" );
document.write( "that you are either being screwed, &nbsp;or deceived, &nbsp;or mocked.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is known and it is clear to anybody and to everyone, who has <BR>\n" );
document.write( "a bit of common sense in his or her brain inside his or her head.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The only correct answer to this question/problem and to million other &nbsp;\" problems \" &nbsp;of this kind is \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"any number can be next term\",\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "but it is, &nbsp;obviously, &nbsp;not what the asking person does expect.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, please do not post nonsensical problems of this type to this forum in the future.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Thank you very much and have a nice day !\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin, one standard approach to such problems is to make a row of first differences;\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "then below it to make next row of second differences\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and so on until you get the row consisting of one unique number.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then it is assumed (without having ani solid base) that all differences of certain order are constant,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and based on it, making backward steps, people restore the original function.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Or, in more simple terms, people simply request and find a polynomial approximation <BR>\n" );
document.write( "(\"exact fit\") to the given sequence from online Internet solvers.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then, using this polynomial, they calculate \"the next number\" and declare/demonstrate <BR>\n" );
document.write( "it as the ANSWER (without having any solid base for it).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The refutation to it is the fact, that we can add another polynomial to the first polynomial<BR>\n" );
document.write( "which has zeroes at the given points 1, 2, 3, 4, but has an arbitrary value in the \"next point #5\".\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This is the whole story and the whole tale.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin, you invite me to bring this knowledge to other people.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The world is full of mathematically illiterate people. The number of them is billions.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To me, the TRUTH is clear from the first glance; but I will not spend my time and my efforts \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "to bring/explain this truth to millions others, where and why they are wrong.  For it, they should \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "have some adequate mathematical education, which they, as a rule, do not have.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "How I can convince them, if during the years I can not convince you, who has a university Math education ?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "For these people, my advise is to use good sources and do not use bad sources for their Math problems.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Good sources are those that are written by specialists and professionals.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bad sources are those that are created by all others.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "At this forum, the visitors regularly bring their problems \"from garbage bins\",\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "but I can do nothing against it &nbsp;(unfortunately).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "For such visitors, I only have this standard message, which is the first part<BR>\n" );
document.write( "of my post.  I keep this message in my archive and use it to respond every time,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "as the current nonsensical post/request comes.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Regarding this practice on giving such nonsensical problems as the test for getting jobs,\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "these people from HR departments deserve to be fired immediately, since they \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "do not understand what they are doing and are not adequate to their positions.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In the shortest words, this problem is a puzzle of the most low level - <BR>\n" );
document.write( "- of that kind what some charlatans give to unexperienced naive amateurs<BR>\n" );
document.write( "to help them to kill their time and to get their money, giving them NOTHING back.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In such puzzles, a correct mathematical solution is impossible, is not required and even is not assumed.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "What is required - are these two things:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- (1) &nbsp;&nbsp;amateurs kill their time in exact accordance with their most wanted hidden desire, &nbsp;and they are very happy of it;\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- (2) &nbsp;&nbsp;those who create these puzzles for them, leave the scene taking their money in their pockets, &nbsp;and they are happy, too.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Everything else does not matter and does not play any role.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Everybody is satisfied and everybody is happy.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Only me work here in the sweat of the face, \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;explaining you all details of this backstage.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<H3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All such puzzles are <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight%28highlight%28CHARLATANISM%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight%28highlight%28CHARLATANISM%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > <BR>\n" );
document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;from the very beginning to the very end.</H3>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin, reading your post, I see that you are wonder, why two different logical <BR>\n" );
document.write( "reasoning to this puzzle lead to different results.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You should not be surprised. It is completely natural.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is the same as if two different formulas, applied to 4 given numbers, would lead to different results.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Nobody has ever proved a theorem on the uniqueness of the solution of crazy puzzles.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is absolutely natural that two different approaches, applied to the given set of input numbers lead to different results.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Simply, let me repeat it again, all this activity around this crazy puzzle is a kind of gibberish.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is as clear to anybody in healthy mind as 2 x 2 = 4.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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