It turns out the ‘?’ can be whatever we want it to be!
Allow me to illustrate. Take for example, f(x)=(1/40)x^4-(13/20)x^3+(291/40)x^2-(553/20)x+42, and evaluate f(8), f(7), f(6), f(5), f(3). It turns out that:
f(8)=56, f(7)=42, f(6)=30, f(5)=20, f(3)=9.
Wait, what sorcery is this? Turns out that although the popular rule f(x)=x(x-1), which gives f(x)=6, satisfies the known values in the sequence, that f(x)=(1/40)x^4-(13/20)x^3+(291/40)x^2-(553/20)x+42 also satisfies them–except with a different value of f(3)!
Here’s another one that also works but gives f(3)=12: f(x)=(1/20)x^4-(13/10)x^3+(271/20)x^2-(543/10)x+84
And here is one where f(3)=π f(x)=(1/120)(π-6)x^4-(13/60)(π-6)x^3+(1/120)(251π-1386)x^2+(1/60)(3138-533π)x+14(π-6)
Finally, in general if you want the ‘?’=k, i.e., f(3)=k where k is the value of your choice, then (1/120)(k-6)x^4-(13/60)(k-6)x^3+(1/120)(251k-1386)x^2+(1/60)(3138-533k)x+14(k-6)
More details here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/260182194/Elementary-Sequences For a non-polynomial rule see here: http://i.imgur.com/BHkg0Ad.png
A general solution is posted here . . . https://www.scribd.com/doc/260182194/Elementary-Sequences
ReplyDelete6
ReplyDeleteIt turns out the ‘?’ can be whatever we want it to be!
ReplyDeleteAllow me to illustrate. Take for example, f(x)=(1/40)x^4-(13/20)x^3+(291/40)x^2-(553/20)x+42, and evaluate f(8), f(7), f(6), f(5), f(3). It turns out that:
f(8)=56,
f(7)=42,
f(6)=30,
f(5)=20,
f(3)=9.
Wait, what sorcery is this? Turns out that although the popular rule f(x)=x(x-1), which gives f(x)=6, satisfies the known values in the sequence, that f(x)=(1/40)x^4-(13/20)x^3+(291/40)x^2-(553/20)x+42 also satisfies them–except with a different value of f(3)!
Here’s another one that also works but gives f(3)=12:
f(x)=(1/20)x^4-(13/10)x^3+(271/20)x^2-(543/10)x+84
And here is one where f(3)=π
f(x)=(1/120)(π-6)x^4-(13/60)(π-6)x^3+(1/120)(251π-1386)x^2+(1/60)(3138-533π)x+14(π-6)
Finally, in general if you want the ‘?’=k, i.e., f(3)=k where k is the value of your choice, then
(1/120)(k-6)x^4-(13/60)(k-6)x^3+(1/120)(251k-1386)x^2+(1/60)(3138-533k)x+14(k-6)
More details here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/260182194/Elementary-Sequences
For a non-polynomial rule see here: http://i.imgur.com/BHkg0Ad.png
2
ReplyDeleteF(x) = x^2 - x
ReplyDeleteF(3) = 6.
Answer is 6.