LESSON 3 – PROBLEM SOLVING
Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Use different types of reasoning to justify statements and arguments made about
mathematics and mathematical concepts
2. Solve problems involving problems and recreational problems following Polya’s
Four Steps
3. Organize one’s methods and approaches to proving and solving problems
3.1: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Making decisions and solving problems play crucial roles to survive in daily life. It
is then important to analyze a given situation based on logical thinking. The process of
logical thinking is called reasoning. There are two types of reasoning to make decisions
and solve problems: inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning.
Inductive reasoning is the process of reaching a general conclusion by examining
specific examples.
For example, suppose that a teacher gives a surprise quiz every Friday for the first
four weeks of the math class.
At this point, one might make an educated guess or a conjecture (conclusion
formed by using inductive reasoning that may or may not be correct), that the teacher will
give a surprise quiz the next Friday as well.
This is an example of inductive reasoning. By observing certain events for four
specific Fridays, one will arrive at a general conclusion.
Example 1. Use Inductive Reasoning to Predict a Number
Use inductive reasoning to predict the next number in each of the following lists.
a. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ?
b. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ?
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Solution:
a. Each successive number is 5 units larger than the preceding number. Thus, it can be
predicted that the next number in the list is 5 units larger than 25, which is 30.
b. Observe that all the numbers are perfect squares. 1 = 12, 4 = 22, 9 = 32, 16 = 42, 25 = 52.
Thus, it can be predicted that the next number to be 36 = 62.
Example 2. Use Inductive Reasoning to Make Conjecture
Use inductive reasoning to make a conjecture out of the following process
Consider the following procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 10, add 8
to the product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 4.
Repeat the procedure for several different numbers. Make a conjecture between the
relationship of the size of the resulting number and the size of the original number using
inductive reasoning.
Solution:
Suppose we pick 7 as our original number.
Original number: 7
Multiply 7 by 10: 70
Add 8 to the product: 70 + 8 = 78
78
Divide the sum by 2: = 39
2
Subtract the quotient by 4: 39 – 4 = 35
We started with 7 and the procedure produces 35. Starting with 8 as our original
number, the procedure produces 40. Starting with 10 as our original number and the
procedure produces 50. Starting with 50 as our original number and the procedure
produces 250. In each of these cases, the procedure produces a number that is five times
the original number. It is conjectured that the given procedure produces a number that is
five times the original number.
Example 3. Use Inductive Reasoning to Solve an Application
Use the data in the table and by inductive reasoning, answer the following
questions below.
Earthquake Max. Tsunami
Magnitude Height (meters)
7.5 5
7.6 9
7.7 13
7.8 17
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7.9 21
8.0 25
8.1 29
8.2 33
8.3 37
a) If the earthquake magnitude is 8.5, how high (in meters) can the tsunami
be?
b) Can a tsunami occur when the earthquake magnitude is less than 7?
Explain your answer.
Solution
a. In the table, for every 0.1 increase in earthquake magnitude, the maximum tsunami
height increases by 4 meters. Thus, it is conjectured that the maximum tsunami height for
the earthquake magnitude of 8.5 is 45 meters.
b. No, because when the earthquake magnitude is 7.4, the maximum tsunami height is
only 1 meter. Hence, a tsunami does not occur when the earthquake magnitude is less
than 7.
Conclusions based on inductive reasoning may not always be true. In other words,
a conjecture formed by using inductive reasoning may be incorrect. While it is not often
easy to prove that a conjecture is true, it is much simpler to prove that one is false. The
method of disproving a statement, that is, to find one specific example that contradicts the
conjecture is known as a counterexample.
Example 4: Finding a Counterexample
Verify that each of the following statement is incorrect by giving a
counterexample.
x
a. = 1
x
b. x2 + 4 = x + 2
c. A number is divisible by 3 if the last two digits are divisible by 3.
Solution:
0 x
a. Let x = 0. Then 1 . This implies that = 1 is not true for all x.
0 x
b. For x = 1, 12 + 4 = 1 + 4 = 5 . But x + 2 = 3 when x = 1. Then, 5 3 , implies that
x2 + 4 = x + 2 is a false statement.
c. Pick a few numbers at random whose last two digits are divisible by 3, then divide the
original number by 3, and see if there’s a remainder.
1,527: Last two digits, 27, divisible by 3; 1,527 3 = 509
11,745: Last two digits, 45, divisible by 3; 11, 745 3 = 3,915
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At this point, one might start to suspect that the conjecture is true, but it is just
two cases, and there are infinitely many possibilities.
2
1,136: Last two digits, 36, divisible by 3; 1,135 3 = 378
3
This counterexample shows that the conjecture is false.
The other method of reasoning is called deductive reasoning.
Deductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion by applying general
assumptions, procedures, or principles. It is based on overall rules, NOT specific
examples.
Example 5. Use deductive reasoning to Establish a Conjecture
Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure produces a number
that is four times the original number.
Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the product, divide
the sum by 2, and subtract 3.
Solution:
Let n represent the original number
Multiply the number by 8: 8n
Add 6 to the product: 8n + 6
8n + 6
Divide the sum by 2: = 4n + 3
2
Subtract 3: 4n + 3 – 3 = 4n
It started with n and ended with 4n after following the given procedure. This means that
the given procedure produces a number that is four times the original number.
Example 6: Comparing Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
a) The last six times Jose’s team played their archrival in football, they won, so they
know they’re going to win on Saturday. Is it based on inductive or deductive
reasoning?
b) The syllabus states that any final average between 80 and 85% will result in a 1.5.
If Joan get 79% on the finals, her overall average will be 80.5%, so she’ll get a
1.5. Is it based on inductive or deductive reasoning?
Solution:
a. The conclusion is based on six specific occurrences, not a general rule that needs to be
true, so, it is inductive reasoning.
b. Although it’s about specific person’s grade, the conclusion that Joan will get a 1.5 is
based on a general rule: all scores between 80 and 85% earn a 1.5. This is deductive
reasoning.
Math 101 -Mathematics in the Modern World University of Northern Philippines
Example 7: Logic Puzzles
a. Each of four neighbors, Sean, Maria, Sarah, and Brian, has a different occupation
(editor, banker, chef, or dentist). From the following clues, determine the occupation of
each neighbor.
1. Maria gets home from work after the banker but before the dentist.
2. Sarah, who is the last to get home from work, is not the editor.
3. The dentist and Sarah leave for work at the same time.
4. The banker lives next door to Brian.
Solution:
From clue 1, Maria is not the banker or dentist. In the following chart, write X1 (which
stands for “ruled out by clue 1) in the Banker and the Dentist columns of Maria’s row.
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Sean
Maria X1 X1
Sarah
Brian
From clue 2, Sarah is not the editor. Write X2 (ruled out by clue 2) in the Editor column
of Sarah’s row. We know from clue 1 that the banker is not the last to get home, and we
know from clue 2 that Sarah is the last to get home; therefore, Sarah is not the Banker.
Write X2 in the Banker column of Sarah’s row.
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Sean
Maria X1 X1
Sarah X2 X2
Brian
From clue 3, Sarah is not the dentist. Write X3 for this condition. There are now Xs for
the three of the four occupations in Sarah’s row; therefore, Sarah must be the chef. Place
a ✓ in that box. Since Sarah is the chef, none of the other three people can be the chef.
Write X3 for these conditions. There are now Xs for three of the four occupations in
Maria’s row; therefore, Maria must be the editor. Insert a ✓ to indicate that Maria is the
editor, and write X3 twice to indicate that neither Sean nor Brian is the editor.
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Sean X3 X3
Maria ✓ X1 X3 X1
Sarah X2 X2 ✓ X3
Brian X3 X3
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From clue 4, Brian is not the banker. Write X4 for this condition. See the following table.
Sine there are three Xs in the Banker column, Sean must be the banker. Place ✓ in that
box. Thus, Sean cannot be the dentist. Write X4 in that box. Since there are 3 Xs in the
Dentist column, Brian must be the dentist. Place a ✓ in that box.
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Sean X3 ✓ X3 X4
Maria ✓ X1 X3 X1
Sarah X2 X2 ✓ X3
Brian X3 X4 X3 ✓
Sean is the banker, Maria is the editor, Sarah is the chef, and Brian is the dentist.
Math 101 -Mathematics in the Modern World University of Northern Philippines
KenKen Puzzle is an arithmetic-based logic puzzle that was invented by the
Japanese mathematics teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto in 2004.
Rules:
1. Do not repeat a number in any row or column.
2. The numbers in each heavily outlined sets of squares, called cages, must combine (in
some order) to produce the target number in the top left corner of the cage using the
mathematical operation indicated.
3. Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number.
4. A number can be repeated within the cage as long as it is not in the same row or
column.
Example 8: Solve each of the following puzzles.
a.
6+ 3x
5+
Solution:
2 1 3
3 2 1
1 3 2
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