Number Patterns

Concept

The study of mathematics includes numbers and the different patterns in which they are listed. There are different types of patterns in mathematics, such as number patterns, image patterns, logic patterns, word patterns, and so on. The number pattern is the most commonly used one since students are aware of even numbers, odd numbers, skip counting, etc., which help in understanding these patterns easily.

In mathematics, patterns are a set of numbers arranged in a sequence such that they are related to each other in a specific rule.

Rules

There are two basic divisions to find out the rules in number patterns:

When the numbers in the given pattern get larger, they are said to be in an ascending order. These patterns usually involve addition or multiplication.

When the numbers in the given pattern get smaller, they are said to be in a descending order. These patterns usually involve subtraction or division.

Example

Write the next 3 terms in the sequence.

5, 8, 11, 14, _____, _____, ______.

Solution

1. Each term in the pattern increases by 3.
2. Add 3 to the last term and the next two terms.

Answer: 17, 20, 23

Practice Number Patterns