Instructions: A numerical machine accepts two values X and Y. At every step, it updates the values as X = X times Y, and Y = Y + 1. The machine stops as soon as X becomes greater than or equal to N.

Using the same values as the previous question (X = 3, Y = 2, N = 100), what is the final value of X?

Question

Which number comes next in the series? 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?

Answer 1

Since the machine only stops once X crosses 100, the final X value is simply whatever X becomes on the very last step that was run.

The steps produced X values of 6, 18, 72 and then 360, in that order.
The stopping rule triggers as soon as X is at least 100, and 360 is the first value in this sequence to satisfy that, since 72 is still below 100.

So the machine's last computed value of X, and hence its final value, is 360.

The correct answer is option D.

Answer 2

Since the machine only stops once X crosses 100, the final X value is simply whatever X becomes on the very last step that was run.

The steps produced X values of 6, 18, 72 and then 360, in that order.
The stopping rule triggers as soon as X is at least 100, and 360 is the first value in this sequence to satisfy that, since 72 is still below 100.

So the machine's last computed value of X, and hence its final value, is 360.

The correct answer is option D.

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