3.2 Problem-Solving Strategies “A great discovery solves a great problem but there is a grain of discovery in the solution of any problem. Your problem may be modest; At the end of the butifit challenges your curiosity and brings into _Tessony students - play your inventive faculties, and if. you solve Should be able to: it by your own means, you may experience the 1. @Explain Polya’s Learning Outcomes: tension and enjoy the triumph of discovery.” urstep George Polya problem-solving strategy; In the previous section, we outlined 2. Apply Polya’s four- process of finding solution to a problem. One can start with “experim step problem- n”, @ solving strategy lat in solving certain 50” rotons ad a conjecture about the obs patte] Depending on the nature iand,of the 3, _ Use Polya's four- problem, the conjecture. res vide step problem- answer to the problem ap. 7 mr solving strategy can be disproved by itere} le or can be to design model — affirmed throug! ct ess. solutions to practical problems This les devoted ® teaching students that arise in how to straf@gfze a solution given a particular nature and in the problem either at the inductive or at the world. deductive level. It may appear a routinary process but with sufficient practice, it is hoped that students focus more on the principle rather than the procedure. Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning 57Diagnostics: Learning Checkpoint atement is correct, Agree or Disagree. If you think the sts EE, otherwise write DISAGREE. 1, Mathematical problems always involve dependent and independent variables. problem-solving strategy applies xtbook problems but not to real-life Polya’s. four-step only to standard te problems. 3, Scaled diagrams are essential eafetig rier process. 4. Certain types of problems jique that they cannot be solved by a definite pr 5, Computations are esseigtial part Be problem-solving process. a OO In 1945, George rctias 00k “How to Solve it: A New jod”” 1 Aspect of Mathematical 9 later became a widely accepted blueprint of how student@tsHouldprocted with problem-solving processes. Although the bo ferallysgeVolves around mathematics problems, Polya emphasi: it vee strategy can be applied when students encounter problem. He encouraged teachers to promote a more liberal appf0ggfi of solving problems giving more emphasis on students’ independence and less on routine computation processes. Polya’s approach advocated the inductive process rather than deductive as what most of his predecessors have promoted. He argued that students can be more engaged with mathematics if they do experimentations themselves. In summary, Polya’s strategy consisted of four phases: understand the problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and look back. In an age of digital technology, the immediate resort to problem- solving is through automation, that is, students have unlimited access to computing systems and gadgets. Problem is that these so-called problem- solver software and gadgets are designed for limited class of problems. Polya’s first phase is then very crucial. One has to have a clear grasp about the problem at hand, especially the relationship that exist between the given Mathematics in the Modern Worldand the unknown quantities. Polya suggested the following guide questions to help a person understand the problem being solved: i. What is the unknown? ji. What are the data? iii, What is the condition? iv. Is it possible to satisfy the condition? y. _ Is the condition sufficient to determine the unknown? vi. Draw a figure, introduce suitable notation. vii. Separate the various parts of the condition. Gan you write them down? For Filipinos, translating the problem jipino (or to any language or dialect being used) may help in undergjanding ‘oon at hand. tage highlights one’s up oe self-designed course of actions towards arriving at a able, fion to the problem at hand. At this stage, you may re ur memory with the concepts involved in the problet cial definitions and properties of the terms involved. If th@grgBfem niggions about “even numbers”, make sure ion of it, its properties and mathematical that you know form includi c eM@MPles. Like in the first phase, Polya suggested the followi fe questions to help you design your plan of actions: i, Have you seen it before? Or have you seen the same problem in a slightly different form? The next phase is devising ii. Do you know a related problem? Do you know a theorem that could be useful? iii, If a related problem is available, could you use it? Could you use its results? Could you use its method? Should you introduce some auxiliary element in order to make its use possible? Again, these are just suggestions, and the point must be clear: be creative! Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning 5960 Keep a record of every result that you obtain. If you get affirmative re just keep going, there is. a next stage of the procs to Then, carry out your plans, Perform each step with care and Precis 0 Sully things do not tum g he as what you expected, then Keep Your alternatives open as yoy ay need to revisit your plan problem and check if the obtained solution is sufficient and consisten Finally, review your solution, look back! Go back to the OFiginay i al t wit what is asked. Check the soundness of your argument. Also, assess if you, obtained solution still applies at a larger scale. rt Now, let us consider some illustrations, Example 1. During a family gathering last Christmas, Angel was able , collect 12 monetary bill consisting of P20-bill and P3GAbil from her ttos and titas. In all, she had P390 from them. How ma ch bill did Ange, receive? oo Solution: i. Understand the Problem “ We need to allocate 12 bj Go two Con fons, more than one bill for each denomination. Devise a plan < We do trial ait i 4 only 11 ways of splitting 12 into two portions: 2, \d so on. If there are 11 P20-bill, then there must i which case the total amount is 11(20) + 1(50) = ing the amounts, we can have 11(50) + 1(20) =570 ;. We determine which allocation yields the amount P390. |. Carry out the plan ut 1 11(20) + 1(50) = 270 10 2 10(20) + 2(50) = 300 9 3 9(20) + 3(50) = 330 8 4 8(20) + 4(50) = 360 1. 5 7(20) + 5(50) = 390 The answer is seven P20-bill and five P50-bill. ‘Mathematics in the Modern Worldiv, Look back tes the desired amount of P390, iplete the table, ‘onable as it ge To check if this is the only solution, we can 11(20) + 1(50) | 10(20) + 2(50) 10 ee --- 570 A classic alternative is Xe, ic Pocess where variables are introduced in the sol ad oO We let nui f P20-bill and , the number of P50-bill. it er bills in all, we have the equation w xt+y=12 The amount from P20-bill is while the amount from the P50-bill is , giving us another equation 20x + S0y = 390 (2) We solve the system of 2 equations in two unknowns to find the solution. (iii)’Carry out the plan. Equation (1) yields the explicit form y = 12 —x. Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning 61Using this in equation (2): 20x +50(12 =x) = 390 20x 600 50x = 390 30x =-210 x=7 And so, y= 12-7= 5. As in the first solution the answer is seven P20-bill and five Psp, bill. (iv) Look back. We check the total amount: 7(20) + 5(50) = s+ 250 = 390, Example 2 Ed is planning to put up a cetneig M n with a fixed area of 129 m’, If the dimensions of the garden hag primers, determine the dimensions that will require < Winns materials to enclose the garden. Solution: i. Understand the oe oo = length width = 120 Perimeter = (2 length) + (2 width) The perimeter will determine the length of the fencing material. Note: we can standardize the dimension so that the length is longer than the width 62 Mathematics in the Modern Worldhave b. Set-up equations and solve the resulting, Devise a plan, For variety, we can look at two alternatives of solving the problem, List all possible dimensions and identify which combination yields a minimum perimeter, This is possible since the dimensions are whole numbers. For example, if the length is 120 meters, then the width has to be 1 meter so that the area is 120 m’ as required The corresponding perimeter is P= 2(120) + 2(1) = 242 meters Likewise, if the length is 40 meters and width is 30 meters, we P= 2(40) + 2(30) = 140 melds jel. Let x be the length, y be the width a the perimeter. We form the equations OP a. iii, Carry out the plan. > We can summag e vate the table below: g Perimeter AY 1 1 242 Y 60 2 120 124 40 3 120 86 30 4 120 68 24 5 120 58 20 6 120 52 15 8 120 46 12 10 | 120 44 10 12 | 120 44 Note that in the last row, the length is already shorter than the width. The table suggest that Ed should consider setting-up his garden with dimensions 12 meters by 10 meters, i.e., length = 12 meters and width = 10 meters. The corresponding minimum length of fencing material is 44 meters. Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning64 b. The second solution requires algebra and calculus. 120 xy =120= => y= Pa2x42y=204 20. 25:1 240 x ap _x(4x)~(2x° +240)(1) 22-240 dy x x 2 2 > 240 _ 9a. wx? 240-0 dx x im - ¢* = 230 iiteters _120_ a < =2 z ae P=2x+2y= ee iv. Look back. Plan (a) gave the dj fon, 19g $. by 10 meters and a perimeter of 44 meters. Pl; wae Ae lesser parameter, with the rectangle taking a squ: Wee mena meters. Note that not o the result of Plan (b) since the problem recut ‘the dimensions be whole numbers. So the result of Plan (a) staysthe correct one. Actually, one should already realized the impropriety of Plan (b) with the condition that the dimension has to be whole number, a discrete value. Calculus, as you were made aware in Grade 12, works in a continuous domain or on the set of real numbers. The current problem is only within the domain of the positive integers. Mathematics in the Modern WorldExercise 3.2.1 Solve the following problems using Polya’s four-step problem-solving strategy. 1, The elimination stage of the UAAP women’s volleyball competition is played in two rounds where each competing team plays each of the other teams once in every round. How many games are played in the elimination round if there are eight teams in a given season? 2. Find the digit that is 50 places to the right of the decimal point in the decimal representation of the rational number . 3. A coffee shop is giving away a soma planner. In the mechanics, each costumer has to collect ers to avail of the said planner, and costumers can share stick8tgvAt the end of the promo period, Tito had the most number ers, than enough to get the planner. Unfortunately, Vic ey di ave enough. This is what they did: first, Tito ga J is many stickers as each id had; after this, Vic gave a Jo any stickers as they had; and in turn, Joey gave ind Vig many stickers as they had. At the end, each of the ient exactly enough stickers to get a planner. How kersigig each person have at the start? 4. Iza gyre &.. 3 hours of office work and 2 hours of field wo. However, she gets P8200 if she works two hours in the office and 3 hours in the field. What is the per hour rate of Iza for doing office work and for field work? 5. Ed’s purse contains some 10-peso, 5-peso, 1-peso and 25-centavo coins, How many of each type does he have if the purse has a total of 20.50? Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning 6566 Exercise 3.2.2. For this exercise, please follow the guidelines below: + Form groups of 4-5 members, assign @ leader + Each group will be provided with a Galton board + The group should work together to obtain the needed information as detailed below the results of the group’s experimen, of, The Galton board is designed such that w1 ball falls on a verte of one of the hexagons, it is equally likely t to the left or to the Tight, ‘As the ball continues its downward pathit st eo of a hexagon + Designated leader will summati: and present it before the entire class The Galton Board in the next row, where the process ig left or to the right js repeated. A fier the ball passes nae I the re hexagons, it falls into one of the bins at the bottom. ee? case: alls will form a bell shape, Examine the numbers displ the hefagons in rows 0 through 3. Each number indicates the nu dij routes that a ball can take from point A to the top of that Hou agon. Guide Questio or 0 tes can = 1. How all take as it travels from A to B, from A to C, from |, from A to E, and from A to F? 2. How many routes can a ball take as it travels from A to G, from Ato H, from A to J, from A to J, and from A to K? 3. Explain how you know that the number of routes from A to J is the same as the number of routes from A to L. 4. pain why the greatest number of balls tend to fall into the center ‘Mathematics in the Modern World5, The probability demonstrator shown to the left has nine rows of hexagons. Determine how many routes a ball can take as it travels from A to P, from A to Q, from A to R, from A to S, from A to T, and from A to U, Assignment: For this assignment, you need to watch the following video clip: Die Hard: With a Vengeance _(https://www.youtube.com/ watch2v-RDnvXAkMnx8) Guide: In the movie Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Bruce,Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are given a 5-gallon jug and a soni id they must put exactly 4 gallons of water on a scale to keep a bor jm exploding. Figure out how they could accomplish this feat. infPAiceo clip 1. Three things that I significantly Si 2. Three things that are still unclear to me Chapter 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning 6768 3. Complete the statement: | used to think that... 4. Three questions that I want to ask about the video clips Sia ee eas Oo? Ro oe wre Readings ¢ Aufmann, R.YLockwood, J., Nation, R., Daniel K., & Clegg, D. (2014). Mathematical excursions (3" ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. References Video Clips Movieclips. (2015, June 1). Die hard: Witha vengeance —Bad day in Harlem Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDnvXAkMmx8 Mathematics in the Modern World