Help! Number sequence answer

[Shwetakd]

Could someone please solve this. Find the next number in the following sequence :

1, 2, 6, 15, 31, -----

This from a sample paper my daughter's friemd had.

[quasimodo]

Could someone please solve this. Find the next number in the following sequence :

1, 2, 6, 15, 31, -----

This from a sample paper my daughter's friemd had.

The answer is 56.Each time the number squared is added.Initially it was the square of one which is 1 then the square of 2 which is 4 then the square of 3 which is 9.Then the square of 4 which is 16 and finally the square of 5 which is 25 added to 31 to make 56.

[Shwetakd]

Thank you!

[Guest55]

It is usually a good approach to look at the 'gaps' or differences between successive terms.

1, 2, 6, 15, 31

2 - 1 = 1
6 - 2 = 4
15 - 6 = 9

etc.