3.
PROBLEM SOLVING
ARIEL F. MELAD
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Inductive & Deductive Reasoning
• Problem Solving with Patterns
• Problem Solving Strategies
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Inductive Reasoning is the process of
reaching a general conclusion by examining
specific examples.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Use Inductive Reasoning to Predict a number
Example1: 2,4,6,8,10,?
1,4,8,13,19,26,?
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Use Inductive Reasoning to Make a Conjecture
Example2: Consider this procedure. Pick a
number. Multiply by 8, add 6 to the product,
divide by the sum by 2, and subtract 3.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Use Inductive Reasoning to Make a Conjecture
Note: we’ll use a deductive method to verify that
the procedure in example 2 always yields a
result that is 4 times the original number.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Use Inductive Reasoning to Make a Conjecture
Conjecture: A procedure produces a number that
is 4 times the original number.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Check your progress: Consider the following
procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number
by 9, add 15 to the product, divide the sum by
3, and subtract 5. What is the conjecture?
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Historical Note: Scientists often use inductive
reasoning. For instance, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
used inductive reasoning to discover that the time
required to completing one swing, called the period
of the pendulum, depends on the length of the
pendulum. Galileo doesn’t have a clock, so he
PROBLEM SOLVING
measured the period of the pendulum in “heartbeats”.
Length of pendulum in units Period of pendulum, in
(1 unit=10 inches) heartbeats
1 1
4 2
9 3
16 4
25 5
36 6
PROBLEM SOLVING
Example3. Use Inductive Reasoning to solve an
Application
1. If a pendulum has a period of 7, what is the
length?
2. If the length of the pendulum is quadrupled, what
happens to its period?
PROBLEM SOLVING
Solution:
1. period of 7 heartbeats will have a length of 49
units.
2. Quadrupling the length of the pendulum doubles
its period.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Check your progress. Application of Inductive Res
Lets do this!
Number of dots 1 2 3 4 5 6
(n)
Maximum number 1 2 4 8 16 ?
of regions (r)
PROBLEM SOLVING
Note: Just because a pattern holds true for few cases,
it does not mean that the pattern will continue. When
using inductive reasoning, you have no guarantee that
your conclusion is correct.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Deductive Reasoning is a process of reaching a
conclusion by applying general assumptions,
procedures, or principles.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Use Deductive Reasoning to Establish a Conjecture
Example5. 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 represents the original number.
multiply the number by 8: 8n
PROBLEM SOLVING
Use Deductive Reasoning to Establish a Conjecture
Add 6 to the product: 8n +6
8𝑛+6
Divide the sum by 2: = 4𝑛 + 3
2
subtract by 3: 4n+3-3=4n
Hence, we started with n and ended with 4n.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Check your Progress. Use deductive to show that the
ff procedure produces a number that is three times the
original number.
Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 6,
add the product by 10, divide the sum by 2, and
subtract 5. Hint: let n represents the original number.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving
with Patterns
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns (Difference table)
Terms of a Sequence
An ordered list of numbers such as
2, 5, 8, 11, 14, …
is called a sequence.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21
2nd differences: 4 4
4
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21
2nd differences: 4 4
4
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21
2nd differences: 4 4 4
4
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21 25
2nd differences: 4 4
4 4
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Example1. Consider the sequence 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,…
Sequence:
5 14 27 44 65 90 …
1st differences: 9 13 17 21 25
2nd differences: 4 4
4 4
PROBLEM SOLVING
Hence, 90 is the next term in the sequence.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Example 2. Predict the next term in the sequence.
2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, 332…
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, …
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, …
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125
2nd differences:
12 18 24 30 36
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, …
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125
2nd differences:
12 18 24 30 36
3rd differences: 6
6 6 6
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, …
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125
2nd differences:
12 18 24 30 36
3rd differences: 6
6 6 6 6
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, …
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125 167
2nd differences:
12 18 24 30 36 42
3rd differences: 6
6 6 6 6
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem Solving with Patterns
Sequence: 2 7 24 59 118 207 332, 499,…
1st differences: 5 17 35 59 89 125 167
2nd differences:
12 18 24 30 36 42
3rd differences: 6
6 6 6 6
PROBLEM SOLVING
Hence, we predict that 499 is the next term in the
sequence.
Check your progress. Predict the next term in the
sequence 1, 14, 51, 124, 245, 426, …
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Polya’s Problem Solving Strategy (George Polya)
Polya’s Four-Step Problem-Solving Strategy
1. Understand the problem
2. Devise a plan
3. Carry out the plan
4. Review the solution
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Example1. A baseball team won 2 out of their 4 last
games. In how many different orders could they have
2 wins and 2 loses in their 4 games.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution
Understand the problem. There are many different
orders. The team may have won 2 straight games and
lost the last 2. Or maybe they lost the first 2 games
and won the last 2 games. Of course there are other
possibilities, such as WLWL.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Devise a Plan. Make an organized list of all possibilities.
Carry out the plan.
1. WWLL 4. LWWL
2. WLWL 5. LWLW
3. WLLW 6. LLWW
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Review the solution. We have made an organized list.
Check if there are no duplications in all possibilities.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Check your progress.
1. A true-false quiz contains 5 questions. In how
many ways can a student answer the questions if the
student answers 2 of the questions with “false” and
the other 3 with “true”?
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Check your progress.
1. FFTTT 6. FTFTT
2. TFFTT 7. FTTFT
3. TTFFT 8. FTTTF
4. TTFTF 9. TFTFT
5. TTTFF 10. TFTTF
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Apply Polya’s Strategy (Guess and Check)
Example 2. The product of the ages, in years, of 3
teenagers is 4590. None of these teens are the same
age. What are the ages of the teenagers?
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution
Understand the problem. We need to determine a
distinct counting numbers such as 13,
14,15,16,17,18,19 and have a product of 4590.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution
Devise a plan. If x, y, and z represents their ages, then xyz =
4590. Notice that the product 4590 ends with 0, hence, which
means that at least one of the number we seek is an even
number and one of its factor is 5. And the only number in the
list is 15. Hence, 15 is one of the numbers and at least one of
the other numbers must be an even number.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution
At this point, we try guessing and checking.
Carry out plan.
15 x 16 x 18 = 4320. No. the product is too small
15 x 16 x 19 = 4560. No. the product is too small
15 x 17 x 18 = 4590. Yes. This is the correct product
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution
Review the solution. The product 15, 17 and 18 is
4590 and none of the numbers 13, 14,16, and 19 is a
factor of 4590, so there are no other solutions.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Example 3. A hat and a jacket together cost P1000.
The jacket costs P900 more than the hat. What are the
cost of the hat and the cost of the jacket?
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution.
Understand the problem. After reading the problem for the
first time, you may think that the jacket cost 900 and 100
for the hat, and the sum is 1000 but the cost of the jacket is
only 900 more than the cost of the hat, We need to find 2
amounts that differ by 900 and whose sum is 1000.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution.
Devise a plan. Write an equation using h for the cost
of the hat and h+900 for the cost of the jacket.
h+h+900 = 1000
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution.
Carry out the plan. Solve the equation
h+h+900= 1000
2h+900 = 1000
2h = 100 (e.g.1000-900)
h = 50
Hence, the cost of the hat is 50 pesos and the jacket is 900+50 = 950.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Solution.
Review the solution. The sum of the cost is 50+950 =
1000, and the cost of the jacket is 900 more than the
cost of the hat. This check confirms that the hat costs
50 and the jacket cost 950.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Check your progress.
1. There are 364 students in Mabini Elementary
School. If there are 26 more girls than boys, how
many girls are there?
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
Check your progress.
2. Connect the dots. Nine dots are arranged as
shown. It is possible to connect the 9 dots
with exactly 4 lines if you are not allowed to
retrace any part of the line and you are not
allowed to remove your pencil from the paper.
If it can be done, demonstrate your drawing.
