ILOILO CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

First Semester, AY 2021 – 2022

GE 3: Mathematics in the Modern World

LEARNING GUIDE #3: You can make It!

Name: _______________________________________________Course, Year & Section: ____________________

Time Frame: 2 weeks (6 hours)

What is This Learning Guide About?

Most occupations require good problem – solving skills. Every day, we solve simple problems that as we
frequently encounter them, give us skills and techniques in solving them.
In this learning guide, we will become better problem solver and believe that problem
solving can be an enjoyable experience.
The following lessons on the learning guide will help you understand better the concepts
of the Nature of Mathematics.
Lesson 1: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Lesson 2: Problem Solving with Patterns

What Will You Learn From this Learning Guide?

After studying this learning guide, you will be able to:
1. Solve problems using inductive and deductive reasoning and those involving
patterns.
2. Demonstrate that problem solving can be an enjoyable experience.

Let us see how you answer this.

The Monty Hall problem is a brain teaser, in the form of a probability puzzle, loosely based on
the American television game show Let's Make a Deal and named after its original host, Monty
Hall.
Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car;
behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens
another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, "Do you want to pick door No. 2?" Is it to your
advantage to switch your choice?
If you are the player, will you stay, or will you switch?

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers by watching the video on the
link provided. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lb-6rxZxx0

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 Inductive and Deductive Reasoning Lesson 1

INDUCTIVE REASONING is the process of reaching a general conclusion by examining specific examples.

Example 1: Use inductive reasoning to predict the next number in each of the following Answer
lists. a. 15
a. 3, 6, 9, 12, … b. 15
b. 1, 3, 6, 10, …. c. 25
c. 5, 10, 15, 20, … d. 37
d. 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, …

Example 2: Use Inductive Reasoning to Make a Conjecture

a. Consider the following procedure: Pick a
number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the Solution to Example 2:
product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3. a. Suppose we choose 5 b. suppose we choose 3
8(5) + 6 9(3) + 15
b. Pick a number. Multiply by 9, add 15 to the 40+6 27+15
product, divide the sum by 3, and subtract 5. 2 3

20 + 3 – 3 9+ 5 - 5
20 9
The final answer is 4 times The final answer is 3 times
the original number the original number
Example 3:
Galileo used inductive reasoning to discover that the
time required for a pendulum to one swing, called period, depends on the length of the pendulum.

Period of If a pendulum has length of 49 units, what is its

Length of
pendulum, period?
the
in If the length of the pendulum is quadrupled,
pendulum
heartbeats
what happens to its period?
1 1
Solution to Example 3:
4 2 a. In the table, each pendulum has a period that
is the square of its length. Thus we conjecture
9 3 that a pendulum with a length of 49 units will
have a period of 7 heartbeats.
16 4 b. In the table, a pendulum with length of 4 units
has a period that is twice that of a pendulum
25 5 with length of 1 unit. A pendulum of 16 units
has a period that is twice that of a pendulum
36 6
with length of 4 units. It appears that
quadrupling the length of a pendulum doubles
its period.

COUNTEREXAMPLES
A statement is a true statement provided that it is true for all cases.
If there is one case for which the statement is not true, called counterexample, then the statement is a false
statement.

Example 4: Find a counterexample. Solution:

Verify that each of the following statements is a A statement may have many counterexamples, but we
false statement by finding a counterexample. need only to find one counterexample to verify that the
statement is false.
a. Let x = 0. Then |0| = 0. Because o is not greater than
For all number x, 0, we have found a counter example. Thus, “for all
a. |𝑥| > 0 number 𝑥, |𝑥| > 0 is a false statement.
b. 𝑥 2 > 𝑥 b. For example, x = 1 we have 12 = 1. Since 1 is not
greater than 1, we have found a counter example.
c. √𝑥 2 = 𝑥 Thus “for all number x, 𝑥 2 > 𝑥 “is a false statement.
c. Consider 𝑥 = −3. Then √(−3)2 = √9 = 3. Since 3 is
not equal to – 3, we have found a counterexample.
Thus “for all numbers 𝑥, √𝑥 2 = 𝑥" is a false
statement.

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DEDUCTIVE REASONING is the process of reaching a conclusion by applying the general principles and
procedures.
Solution:
Example 5: Use Deductive Reasoning to Establish a Conjecture a. Let n be the original number.
Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure Multiply the number with 8, 8n.
Add 6 to the product, 8n + 6.
produces a number that is four times and three times respectively, Divide the sum by 2, 4n + 3.
the original number. Subtract 3, 4n + 3 – 3 = 4n. We
a. Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, started with n and ended with 4n.
add 6 to the product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3. the procedure given in the
example produces a number that
b. Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 6, is four times the original number.
add 10 to the product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 5.
I know you can do b on your own… Good
luck!

LOGIC PUZZLES
Logic Puzzles can be solved by using deductive reasoning and a chart that enables us to display the given
information in a visual manner.

Example 6: Solve a Logic Puzzle Solution

From clue 1, Maria is not the banker or the dentist. In the following
1. Each of the four neighbours, Sean, Maria, Sarah and chart, write X1 (ruled out by clue 1) in the banker and dentist column
Brian, has a different occupation (editor, banker, chef of Maria’s row.
or dentist). From the following clues, determine the Editor Banker Chef Dentist
occupation of each neighbour. Sean
Maria X1 X1
a. Maria gets from work after the banker but before
Sarah
the dentist. Brian
b. Sarah, who is the last to get home from work, is
not the editor. From clue 2, Sarah is not the editor. We know from clue 1 that the
banker is not the last to get home, and we know from clue 2 that
c. The dentist and Sarah leave for work at the same
Sarah is the last to go home.
time.
d. The banker lives next door to Brian. Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Sean
Maria X1 X1
Editor Banker Chef Dentist Sarah X2 X2
Brian
Sean From clue 3, Sarah is not the dentist; therefore Sarah must be the
chef. Since Sarah is the chef none of the other 3 people can be the
Maria chef. Maria is the editor then the 3 other people cannot be editor.

Editor Banker Chef Dentist

Sarah Sean X3 √ X3 X4
Maria √ X1 X3 X1
Brian Sarah X2 X2 √ X3
Brian X3 X4 X3 √
From clue 4, Brian is not the banker. Hence, he is the dentist. Since
Sean cannot be the dentist, therefore, he is the banker.

Sean is the banker, Maria is the editor, Sarah is the chef and Brian is
the dentist.

2. Four children are great friends. Use the clues below to find our which sport each child plays.
a. Brad plays a sport that begins with the same letter as his name.
b. Jenny has to kick the ball in the sport she plays.
c. Frank hit two homes -runs this season.

Basketball Baseball Volleyball Soccer

This is a challenge. Can you make it?
Brad

Jenny

Frank

Susan

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KENKEN PUZZLE
Rules for Solving a Kenken Puzzle
For a 3x 3 puzzle, fill in each square of the grid with one number 1, 2, or 3
For a 4 x 4 puzzle, fill in each square of the grid with one number 1, 2, 3 or 4
For a n x n puzzle, fill in each square of the grid with one number 1, 2, 3, …n
• Do not repeat a number in any row or column.
• The numbers in each heavily outlines set 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.
• Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number.
• A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

For detailed instruction you may watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWC2_1FaryU&t=67s and search

the net for more examples.

Example 7: Solve each of the following Kenken puzzles.

Number 2 and 4 are assignments

Answer
2 1 4 3
1. 2 1 3 3.
1 3 2 4
3 2 1
3 4 1 2
1 3 2
4 2 3 1

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 Lesson 2
PROBLEM SOLVING WITH PATTERNS

TERMS OF A SEQUENCE
An ordered list of numbers such as 5, 14, 27, 44, 65… is called a sequence. The numbers in a sequence
that are separated by commas are the terms of the sequence.

𝑎𝑛 is used to designate the nth term in the sequence. That is, 𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , 𝑎3 𝑎4 ……𝑎𝑛

In the sequence 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, …𝑛2 + 1…

𝑎1 = 2, 𝑎2 = 6, … 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛2 + 1
• What is the next term?
• What formula or rule can be used to generate the term?

DIFFERENCE TABLE

1. The sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, … 2. 5, 14, 27, 44, 65,

Example 8:

Use difference table to predict the next term in the sequence.

1. 2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, …
2. 1, 14, 51, 124, 245, 426, …

Solution:
1. Construct a difference table

2. Construct the difference table and see for yourself.

Example 9:

Assume the pattern shown by the square tiles in the following figures continues.
a. What is the nth term formula for the number of tiles in the nth figure of the sequence?
b. How many tiles are in the eight figures of the sequence?
c. Which figure will consist of exactly 320 tiles?

Solution:
a. Examine the figures for pattern. Note that the second figure has two tiles on each of the horizontal sections and
one tile between the horizontal sections. The third figure has 3 tiles on each horizontal section and two tiles
between the horizontal sections. The fourth figure has 4 tiles on
each horizontal section and three tiles between the horizontal
sections.

Thus, the number of tiles in the nth figure is given by two groups
of n pus a group of n less one.
That is, 𝑎𝑛 = 2𝑛 + ( 𝑛 − 1 ) or 𝑎𝑛 = 3𝑛 − 1

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 b. The number of tiles in the eight figure of the sequence is 3(8) − 1 = 23
c. To determine which figure in the sequence will have 320 tiles, we solve the equation 3𝑛 − 1 = 320
3n – 1 = 320
3n = 321 The 107th figure is composed of 320 tiles.
n = 107

POLYGONAL NUMBERS

A. Triangular Numbers
The nth term formula for a triangular
number is:

𝑛 (𝑛 + 1)
𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑛 =
2

B. Square Numbers
The nth- term formula for a square
number is:

𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛 = 𝑛2

C. Pentagonal Numbers

The nth- term formula for a pentagonal

number is:

𝑛(3𝑛 − 1)
𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑛 =
2

A Famous Puzzle: The Tower of Hanoi is a puzzle invented by Eduoard Lucas in 1883. The puzzle consists of
three pegs and a number of disks of distinct diameters stacked on one of the pegs such that the largest disk is
on the bottom, the next largest is placed on the largest disk and so on.
The object of the puzzle is to transfer the tower to one of the other pegs. The rules require that only one disk
may be moved at a time and that a larger disk may not be placed on smaller disk. All pegs may be used. Determine
the minimum number of moves required to transfer all of the disks to another peg for each of the following
situations.
1. You start with only one disk.
2. You start with two disks.
3. You can start with three disks.

Write your answer in the table

No. of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 n
coins
Least
no. of
moves

For activities, click the link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10RGzagVG13PlVhlDxspl8VXmscZRG1i5opGZWUWyhbs

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