To find the next number in the series 58, 52, 46, 40, 34, ..., we need to determine the pattern or rule that governs the sequence.
By observing the given series, we can see that each number is decreasing by 6. Therefore, to find the next number, we need to subtract 6 from the previous number.
58 - 6 = 52
52 - 6 = 46
46 - 6 = 40
40 - 6 = 34
So, the next number should be:
34 - 6 = 28
However, none of the given options match 28. Therefore, we need to reconsider the pattern.
Alternatively, we can observe that each number is decreasing by 6, and the difference between the numbers is decreasing by 1. In other words, the decreasing pattern is changing.
58 - 6 = 52
52 - 6 = 46
46 - 6 = 40
40 - 6 = 34
34 - 6 = 28
From the pattern, we can determine that the next difference should be 5. So, we subtract 5 from the previous number:
28 - 5 = 23
Therefore, the next number in the series should be 23.
Hence, the correct answer is option D) 23.