Insert the known value or values into your equation. Every problem will give you at least one numeric value. For instance, if you are told the value of the second number is 13, you would insert 13 into the formula as follows: S = x + 13 + (x+4) + (x+6) + (x+8). For this example, all you have to do is write out the odd numbers that come before and after 13; these would be 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. More complicated problems will give you the total value of the integers. An example of this would be if the value of five consecutive odd integers equaled a total of 55. You would write the equation as follows: 55 = x + (x+2) + (x+4) + (x+6) + (x+8).
Simplify the equation by adding the integers. Since you know that "x" is set numeric value, you can multiply "x" by the number of unknown integers and then add the known numbers together. For instance, x + (x+2) + (x+4) + (x+6) + (x+8) can be simplified as 5x + 20.
Subtract the remaining value from both sides of the equation. For instance, write out the example as 5x + 20 -- 20 = 55 -- 20. This equation will now be written as 5x = 35.
Reduce the equation by dividing the value attached to the unknown integer. For instance, 5x/5 = 35/5; therefore, x = 7.
Insert the value into the original equation to find the value of the consecutive odd integers. If "x" equals 7, then the equation should be written as 7 + (7+2) + (7+4) + (7+6) + (7+8). The value of the five consecutive odd integers is 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15.