i need help!!! ok... what comes next 11, 42, 96, ??

Question

ive had trouble with this one

Answer 1

The next one can be 96+54+17 = 167
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Reason:
11, 42, 96, 167
31, 54, 71 (difference of two neighbor terms of 11, 42, 96, 167)
17, 17 (difference of two neighbor terms of 31, 54, 71 )
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JP,
Thank you for pointing out the error. However, except that error all the concepts in my approach should be right.

Answer 2

For the gentlemen who decided that the difference between 96 and 42 = 34. Is completely incorrect. 96-42= 54. This would give no logic to why you could concluded the differences is just the subtractive amount in increments of +3. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Update: I think I got it, the number could be 915. Because , 2-1= 1 (which is the first number in 11). 6-2=4 (which is the first number in 42. So the only thing that can make 9 is a last number of 15. (15-6=9). So I concluded that the last digit is "15". To get the 9, you just.. Damnit I lost it. It's a complex pattern. But it is there. Once I get how I got the 9, I will post it.

Answer 3

it's not really enough terms to establish a pattern, but if you can argue it consistently, then it can't be wrong. So I am going to go with this:

96 was 42 + (11+42+1), so
the term after 96 will be

96 + (42 + 96 + 1) = 235

defined recursively, this formula would be

a1 = 11, a2 = 42
a(n+1) = 2*a(n) + a(n-1) + 1

Answer 4

11, 42, 96
Not enough data

Adding is +31, +53, so the next could be +75, which gives 171