The inaugural “Because It’s Friday” fun quiz – with prizes!

Depending on the popularity of today’s quiz, this may become a thing!

Today’s fun quiz is inspired by this xkcd cartoon:

xkcd: Roman Numerals

The BBC2 quiz, Only Connect, hosted by the one and only Victoria Coren Mitchell, is a firm favourite of Diana, our son Jeremy and myself. Jeremy is a Maths teacher and when I saw the xkcd Roman Numerals cartoon I knew he would like it.

When he saw it, he sent me back an Only Connect style sequence question, that has done the rounds of the school maths department.

That is going to be today’s quiz.

In the style of Only Connect I will give you the the first four numbers in the sequence, you have to then work out the next number in the sequence.

To win you have to send your answer and your workings out to me, using the Smart Thinking Contact Page.

Unlike Only Connect we have two prizes for the first two eligible answers we receive – each winner will receive a £5 Amazon voucher.

Rules and stuff:

(Printed before the question so you have to read them!)

  • Only answers sent by the Smart Thinking Contact Page will be processed
  • The prizes will go to the first two correct solutions we receive using the email timestamp from the Smart Thinking website administrator’s email account
  • We will not reveal the winners
  • In the case of a solution not matching the one Jeremy provided he will check the solution sent in and confirm whether it makes a valid sequence. If so that solution will be accepted.
  • The answer will be revealed in next week’s “Because It’s Friday” post (8 July 2022)
  • Members of staff, their family and friends at Octagon Technology and the school where Jeremy is a teacher are not eligible to enter
  • Our decisions are final

The Question:

Here is a sequence of numbers, please provide the next number in the sequence. Your submitted answer must include your solution/workings out, and of course the answer.

1
11
21
1211

Submit your answer here – be quick…

Happy quizzing…

Can’t solve it? Don’t panic have a look at some of our weekend reads to pass the time.

Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security) – by-line and other articles

victoria coren mitchell 200