Although　some　preliminary　spatial　localization　results　have　been　reported,　the　temporal　characteristics　of　human　inductive　reasoning　process　have　not　been　investigated.　In　the　present　study,　event-related　potential　(ERP)　was　used　to　explore　the　time　course　of　inductive　reasoning　process.　Based　on　pilot　studies　and　some　other　related　research,　we　hypothesized　that　the　process　of　numerical　inductive　reasoning　is　composed　of　number　recognition,　strategy　formation,　hypothesis　generation　and　validation,　and　the　above　three　stages　are　(partially)　dissociable　over　time.　A　typical　task　of　inductive　reasoning,　function-finding,　was　adopted.　Induction　tasks　and　calculation　tasks　were　performed　in　the　experiments,　respectively.　The　mean　reaction　time　of　induction　tasks　was　much　longer　than　that　of　calculation　tasks　as　expected.　Statistical　analysis　revealed　that　induction　showed　no　significant　separations　from　calculation　for　the　early　ERP　components　and　the　slow　waveforms　after　about　600ms,　while　marked　dissociations　appeared　for　the　late　components　in　the　time　window　of　about　250-600ms.　It　can　be　preliminarily　concluded　that,　the　early　components　before　about　250ms　may　reflect　the　process　of　attention　and　number　recognition,　the　late　components　may　relate　to　strategy　formation,　and　hypothesis　generation　and　validation　may　be　performed　in　about　600-1200ms.　On　the　whole,　the　results　on　the　behavioral　data　and　ERP　data　support　our　hypothesis.