Thread: need to create a program that adds multiples(confusing see inside more detail)

I was assigned this problem for java class and i have spent well over ten hours working on this including theory and testing.
so the problem goes like this the value for position 1 is 1, the value for position 2 is position 1 + 1*1, the value for position 3 is equal to position 2 + 2*1, the value for position 4 is equal to position 3 + 2*2 etc etc. the user needs to enter a position and you need to return the value here is an example of the math behind it

Position	Value	addition to get the next value
1	1	+1*1
2	2	+2*1
3	4	+2*2
4	8	+3*1
5	11	+3*2
6	17	+3*3
7	26	+4*1
8	30	+4*2
9	38	+4*3
10	50	+4*4
11	66	+5*1

]

in other terms to get from 1 -> 2
you add 1 + 1*1 = 2
to get from 2 -> 3
you add 2 + 2*1 = 4
to get from 3 -> 4
you add 4 + 2*2 = 8
to get from 4 -> 5
you add 8 + 3*1 = 11

thank you in advance for your help

Originally Posted by Norm

Can you post your code and explain what your problem is?
Post the program's output or any error messages.

for clarification int l is the length, or the location the user wants to find the value of x and y are controlling variables and pos is the current position. val is the value.

import java.util.Scanner;
public class Problem07
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
		int val=2,pos=3,l,y=2,x=2;
 
		System.out.println("Enter a Value");
		l = in.nextInt();
		if(l==1)
			val=1;
		else if(l==2)
			val=2;
		else
		{
			do
			{
 
 
			y=1;
			if(x==y)
			{
					System.out.println("x is increased by 1");
				x++;
				System.out.println(" X = " + x);
			}
 
		do
		{
			System.out.println("The value is being increased by " + x + "  *  " + y);
				val+=x*y;
				System.out.println("The value is " + val);
				y++;
				System.out.println(" Y = " + y);
				pos++;
				System.out.println("Pos = " + pos);
		}while(y<=x);
 
 
 
 
 
			}
			while(pos<=l);	
		}
 
		System.out.println(" value "+val);
 
	}
}

Enter a Value
5
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 4
 Y = 2
Pos = 4
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 8
 Y = 3
Pos = 5
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 10
 Y = 2
Pos = 6
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 14
 Y = 3
Pos = 7
 value 14

The println statements are to view changes to the variables.I hope this helps. Thank you for the help with this

the answer for when a three is entered is 4 but an 8 was returned

Enter a Value
3
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 4
 Y = 2
Pos = 4
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 8
 Y = 3
Pos = 5
 value 8

this is for when the value entered is 6 the answer should be 17 it is 14.

Enter a Value
6
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 4
 Y = 2
Pos = 4
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 8
 Y = 3
Pos = 5
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 10
 Y = 2
Pos = 6
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 14
 Y = 3
Pos = 7
 value 14

this if for when the value entered is 7 the answer should be 26 the given answer is 20

Enter a Value
7
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 4
 Y = 2
Pos = 4
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 8
 Y = 3
Pos = 5
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 10
 Y = 2
Pos = 6
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 14
 Y = 3
Pos = 7
The value is being increased by 2  *  1
The value is 16
 Y = 2
Pos = 8
The value is being increased by 2  *  2
The value is 20
 Y = 3
Pos = 9
 value 20

I appreciate your help with this

There was no pseudo code but this was the prompt (paraphrased)
1 2 4 8 11 17 26 30 38 50 66
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
The value of location 1 is 1. The value of location 2 is 1 plus the product of 1*1. The value of location 3 is the value of location 2 (2) plus 2*1. The value of location 4 is the value of location 3 (4) plus the product of 2*2. This pattern continues with the program adding the first multiple of the next number in the sequence until the second factor is equal to the first factor (3*3) then the first factor is increased by 1 (3*1, 3*2,3*3, 4*1 , 4*2) .Allow the user to enter a location n (length in my program) and calculate the value at that location using this pattern.

I am questioning what my algorithm for this would be or how should I go about it. I am very new and thus very lost with this. Thank you for sticking with me