Three circles are concentric as in the diagram given below. If a fourt

Three circles are concentric as in the diagram given below. If a fourth innermost circle is drawn, what will be the number to be inscribed there ?

8
7
3
1
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2009
The problem describes three concentric circles with numbers 10, 5, 2.5 inscribed, presumably associated with the circles or regions from outside to inside. A fourth innermost circle is drawn, and we need to find the number for it. This suggests a sequence of numbers corresponding to the circles from outside to inside: 10, 5, 2.5, ?.

Let’s analyze the sequence: 10, 5, 2.5.
The pattern is that each term is half of the previous term:
10 / 2 = 5
5 / 2 = 2.5

Following this pattern, the number for the fourth innermost circle should be half of the number for the third circle:
2.5 / 2 = 1.25

However, the options provided are 8, 7, 3, 1, which are all integers. This indicates that either the given sequence of numbers (10, 5, 2.5) or the options are incorrect, or the intended pattern leads to one of the integer options.

Let’s consider if there’s a different pattern that could lead to one of the integer options from starting values near 10 and 5. A common pattern type involves differences between consecutive terms.
Differences: 10 – 5 = 5. 5 – 2.5 = 2.5. The differences are 5, 2.5. This suggests a pattern where the difference is halved each time, leading to the next term being 2.5 – 1.25 = 1.25. This still leads to 1.25.

Let’s assume there is a typo in the number 2.5, and it was intended to be an integer that fits a pattern leading to one of the options. Let’s look at the options for the fourth term: 8, 7, 3, 1.
Let’s test if the sequence 10, 5, N3, N4 fits a simple integer pattern where N4 is one of the options.
Consider the sequence 10, 5, N3, 1 (Option D). Differences: 10-5=5, 5-N3, N3-1.
If the differences follow an arithmetic progression, say decreasing by 2: 5, 3, 1.
If the differences are 5, 3, 1, then:
10 – 5 = 5 (correct)
5 – 3 = 2. So, N3 should be 2.
2 – 1 = 1. So, N4 should be 1.
This forms the sequence 10, 5, 2, 1, where the differences are -5, -3, -1, which is an arithmetic progression of differences with common difference +2.

This pattern (differences -5, -3, -1) strongly suggests that the number for the third circle was intended to be 2, not 2.5, and the number for the fourth circle is 1. Assuming 2.5 is a typo for 2, the pattern holds and leads to option D.

This is a number sequence/pattern recognition problem, likely involving arithmetic or geometric progressions or patterns in differences. The discrepancy between the given number (2.5) and the integer options suggests a potential error in the problem statement or that a simple integer pattern is intended which fits one of the options. Identifying a consistent pattern (like the differences forming an arithmetic progression) that yields an option is key.
When faced with a pattern recognition problem where the most obvious pattern doesn’t lead to any of the options, and the options are integers, it is reasonable to suspect a typo in non-integer values given in the sequence and check if changing the non-integer to a nearby integer allows a simple integer pattern to fit the options. In this case, changing 2.5 to 2 makes the sequence 10, 5, 2, 1 follow a pattern of differences decreasing by 2.
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