In the number series 4, 19, 44, 79, 124, the next term is _______. – UGC NET Question

The consecutive differences are 15, 25, 35 and 45. These differences form an arithmetic progression with common difference 10. Therefore the next difference should be 55. Adding 55 to the last term 124 gives 179, so 179 continues the series while preserving the same second-level arithmetic pattern.

Option A:
Option A gives 172, implying a difference of 48 from 124. This would make the final increment among differences equal to 3 instead of 10, turning the pattern 15, 25, 35, 45, 48 into an irregular sequence. Hence 172 is not appropriate.

Option B:
Option B gives 176, corresponding to a difference of 52 from 124. The second-level jump from 45 to 52 becomes 7, which again fails to match the consistent step of 10. Therefore 176 does not respect the underlying structure.

Option C:
Option C gives 179, yielding a difference of 55 from 124. The difference sequence becomes 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, showing a constant increment of 10 throughout. This strong internal cohesion means that 179 is the correct next term.

Option D:
Option D gives 184, which implies a difference of 60 from 124. The final increase among differences would then be 15, which is larger than the previous constant step and breaks the pattern. Thus 184 cannot be accepted.