# Looking for named number sequences **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845 "2009-10-14T22:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/1 "2009-10-14T22:46:27Z")
Can someone help me, I’m looking for named number sequences such Pi, Prime, etc. Even the obscure ones. Thank you. ~Jain ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/2 "2009-10-14T22:53:04Z")
We could start of with Fibonacci numbers, then follow with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci\_number](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number) the various kinds of primes. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primes#Special\_types\_of\_primes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primes#Special_types_of_primes) You could probably start from here and spread outwards. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/3 "2009-10-14T22:58:15Z")
A famous one is the [Fibonacci Series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number). It’s a specific example of an infinite number of series constructed in the same way. Oops. beaten. Remember that both the odd numbers and the even numbers are sequences. So are the squares, the cubes, and all the other power sequences. Pi is a number or a ratio, but isn’t a sequence. It can be constructed by use of an infinite sequence but so can any\* number. Even 1. - I think “any”. I’m sure people will correct if there are exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/4 "2009-10-14T23:00:27Z")
You may also want to look at ‘e’ and ‘irrational numbers’. While you’re googling, typing the ‘interesting numbers’ will bring up the ‘interesting number paradox’, which is also interesting. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/5 "2009-10-14T23:16:36Z")
I thought of the Fibonacci Series, but it seems some people consider it starting with 1 and some 0, so unless I’m mistaken about that, the FS won’t work for my purpose. Regarding the PI isn’t a sequence thing, I should clarify - I can use numbers and ratios as well. Sorry I wasn’t clear - I don’t really know a lot about this stuff obviously! ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/6 "2009-10-15T00:02:16Z")
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences [error](http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/7 "2009-10-15T01:19:09Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Regarding the PI isn’t a sequence thing, I should clarify - I can use numbers and ratios as well. This no longer makes sense. You can use numbers? 45, 49, 3452, 24545, 45663767, 6747529879769876598597856. Wouldn’t it help a whole lot to explain what you want to use these for? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/8 "2009-10-15T02:25:41Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > This no longer makes sense. You can use numbers? 45, 49, 3452, 24545, 45663767, 6747529879769876598597856. > > Wouldn’t it help a whole lot to explain what you want to use these for? “Number” as you defined Pi. I’m putting together a series of puzzles and I need the name of a particular set of numbers as an overall clue. So for example if the number in the puzzle was “9” my sub-set clue would be 6 (the sixth number in Pi is 9). Thanks for your help, again sorry for being unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/9 "2009-10-15T02:37:28Z")
No, that still doesn’t make any sense. Explain to us exactly how your puzzle will work. I don’t think the clues will give the answers in the way you want. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/10 "2009-10-15T03:21:11Z")
I think that, by referring to pi as a sequence, she means the sequence of the base-10 digits of pi. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/11 "2009-10-15T04:26:51Z")
I think the problem is that you guys are too smart, this is pretty simple. Say the number I want someone to end up with is 956. The overall hint is (for example) pie (Pi). The sub hint is 698 (sixth number of pie, ninth number of pie, eighth number of pie). So what I’m looking for are some named sequences of numerals to give as base clues. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/12 "2009-10-15T04:56:57Z")
There’s the perfect numbers, where every number is equal to the sum of its divisors (excluding itself): 6, 28, 496, 8128, 33550336, … ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/13 "2009-10-15T05:05:02Z")
I just saw that Wikipedia has a whole bunch of named series: Abundant numbers Achilles numbers Almost perfect numbers Amicable numbers Colossally abundant numbers Composite numbers Deficient numbers Equidigital numbers Extravagant numbers Friendly numbers Frugal numbers Harmonic divisor numbers Highly abundant numbers Highly composite numbers Hyperperfect numbers Multiply perfect numbers Perfect numbers Powerful numbers Practical numbers Prime numbers Primitive semiperfect numbers Quasiperfect numbers Semiperfect numbers Sociable numbers Solitary numbers Square-free numbers Sublime numbers Superabundant numbers Superior highly composite numbers Superperfect numbers Unitary perfect numbers Untouchable numbers Weird numbers ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/14 "2009-10-15T05:08:23Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > I think the problem is that you guys are too smart, this is pretty simple. Respectfully, I think the problem was that you didn’t clearly say what you meant. > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences [http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/](http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/) Holy shit! [Check out this sequence](http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/?q=8,6,7,5,3,0,9&sort=0&fmt=0&language=english&go=Search) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/15 "2009-10-15T07:31:00Z")
First, it’s never spelled “pie.” It’s spelled “pi.” Second, this really isn’t a good puzzle. So you start by saying, "The overall clue is “Pi.” The subhint is “698.” So the person who’s guessing says, “Huh?”. You say, “The answer is ‘956.’ Get it? Pi equals 3.1415926535… The sixth digit of pi is 9, the ninth digit of pi is 5, and the eighth digit of pi is 6.” They say, “O.K., what the next overall clue and subhint?” You say, "The overall clue is “Prime.” The subhint is “412.” They say, “So the answer is “723.” That’s not a puzzle. All I have to do is look up the sequence and look for the digits. Since the prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, …, the answer is obviously “723.” So what? There’s no puzzle there. It’s just about looking up sequences.” ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/16 "2009-10-15T16:06:03Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > First, it’s never spelled “pie.” It’s spelled “pi.” Second, this really isn’t a good puzzle. So you start by saying, "The overall clue is “Pi.” The subhint is “698.” > > So the person who’s guessing says, “Huh?”. > > You say, “The answer is ‘956.’ Get it? Pi equals 3.1415926535… The sixth digit of pi is 9, the ninth digit of pi is 5, and the eighth digit of pi is 6.” > > They say, “O.K., what the next overall clue and subhint?” > > You say, "The overall clue is “Prime.” The subhint is “412.” > > They say, “So the answer is “723.” That’s not a puzzle. All I have to do is look up the sequence and look for the digits. Since the prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, …, the answer is obviously “723.” So what? There’s no puzzle there. It’s just about looking up sequences.” The puzzle is figuring out that being told “pie” and “698” means that you need the sixth, ninth and eighth digits of pi. I don’t like puzzles like this, but it wouldn’t be at all out of place in certain types of games. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/17 "2009-10-15T17:28:34Z")
phi ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/18 "2009-10-15T17:30:46Z")
Yep, not a super clever puzzle but it suits this purpose. Thanks all - especially Little Nemo. > [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](#): > > Holy shit! [Check out this sequence](http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/?q=8,6,7,5,3,0,9&sort=0&fmt=0&language=english&go=Search) Now that’s a good one! ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/19 "2009-10-15T20:20:02Z")
The word “series” is being misused throughout this thread when the word “sequence” is what is meant. The difference is that a sequence is an ordered **set** of numbers and a series is an ordered **sum** of numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-named-number-sequences/513845/20 "2009-10-16T19:10:20Z")
> [@breezman](#): > > The word “series” is being misused throughout this thread when the word “sequence” is what is meant. The difference is that a sequence is an ordered **set** of numbers and a series is an ordered **sum** of numbers. Oh c’mon. Even though I just made this distinction this week to 130 calculus studetns, I think you are being a bit pedantic for the context of this thread. Series was only used to mean sequence twice in this thread anyway.