Hello, what's the next number in 2,4,12,32.... ? is it 72 then 256?

Yep good job :D

Thanks.

To find the next number in the sequence 2, 4, 12, 32..., we need to determine the pattern or rule governing the sequence.

Looking at the given numbers, we see that each number is obtained by multiplying the previous number by a specific factor. Let's examine this:

2 * 2 = 4
4 * 3 = 12
12 * 2.67 (approximately) = 32

The factor seems to increase slightly with each iteration, but it is not a constant. Therefore, we cannot determine a unique rule for the sequence based solely on these given numbers.

As a result, there are multiple possible patterns that could be used to continue the sequence. So, there is no definitively correct answer to your question. However, let's explore the possibilities you suggested:

If we consider the factor to be an increase by a whole number each time, we could say that the pattern is multiplying by consecutive natural numbers:
32 * 4 = 128 (not 72)
128 * 5 = 640 (not 256)

If we consider the factor to be increasing by fractions, as seen in the given numbers, we could continue the sequence like this:
32 * 2.67 (approximately) = 85.44
85.44 * 2.67 (approximately) = 227.76

So, according to this pattern, the next number could be 227.76 (approximately), but 72 is not correct, and 256 is not consistent with the pattern we have observed.

In summary, since we don't have a clear pattern based on the given numbers, there could be multiple ways to continue the sequence.