Mathematics in the Modern World

Module 1 – Lesson 10
More on Inductive Reasoning
Tower of Hanoi
Edgar M. Adina
Inductive Approach: Recognizing Patterns

One of the most effective ways to solve a problem is taking

few numeric or geometric cases and observing if there are
repeated values or if such values exhibit certain behavior or
pattern. Once the rule of the pattern is captured, it would be
easier to solve the specified problem.
Inductive Approach: Recognizing Patterns
Problem

Experiment

Conjecture

Proof Counterexample Give up

Generalize Extend For now For ever!

Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
Solution:
Start with the simplest case: A single item “True or False” test can
be answered in 2 ways, that is, either “True” or “False”.
What if there are two items? Below are the possibilities:

ITEM Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4

No. 1 TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE
No. 2 TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE

This yields 4 possible ways of answering the 2-item test.

Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
We can use a tree diagram to visualize the possibilities in this case:
Item 1 Item 2 Outcomes

True True, True

True

Start False True, False

True False, True

False

False False, False

Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
If there will be 3 items, here are the possible outcomes:

Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

No. 1 TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE

No. 2 TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE

No. 3 TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE

Can you draw the Tree Diagram?

Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
Initial data (by observation):

No. of Items No. of Ways to Answer

1 2
2 4
3 8
Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
Conjecture:

No. of Items No. of Ways to Answer

1 2
2 4
3 8
4 16?
⋮ ⋮
10 210
Example 1
In how many ways can you answer a 10-item “True or
False” Test?
Assume that a 9-item “T/F” test can be answered in 29=512 ways.
Answer the 10th item either as “TRUE” or “FALSE” then attach the
combinations of the first 9 items of the test. If N is the number of
ways to answer a 10-item “T/F” test, then
𝑁 = 25 + 25 = 512 + 512 = 1024 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 = 210 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠

Item 10 First 9 items

True 512 ways

False 512 ways

Example 1: Generalization
In how many ways can you answer a “True or False” Test
with 𝑛 question items?
Example 1: Extension
In how many ways can you answer a “True or False” Test
with 𝑛 question items, 𝑘 items of which are sure to be
correct?
Example 2
In a certain gathering, participants greet each other through
handshakes. Of course, a person cannot shake his own hands and
each person can only shake hands with another person once. How
many handshakes occur in a party of 𝑛 people?
Example 2
We start observing initial cases:

For only two individuals, say P1 and P2, there is only one
handshake that takes place since P1 to P2 is the same as P2 to
P1.

For three individuals (P1, P2, P3), the distinct handshakes are:
P1 to P2, P1 to P3, and P2 to P3 (for a total of three
handshakes).
Example 2

For four individuals (P1, P2, P3, P4), you have the following distinct
handshakes:
P1 to P2
P1 to P3
P1 to P4
P2 to P3
P2 to P4
P3 to P4
(for a total of six handshakes).
Example 2
Example 2
There seems to be a pattern on the number of handshakes.
Example 2

By brute force, we verify if there really are 10 handshakes among 5

people (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5):
(1) P1 to P2 (2) P1 to P3
(3) P1 to P4 (4) P1 to P5
(5) P2 to P3 (6) P2 to P4
(7) P2 to P5 (8) P3 to P4
(9) P3 to P5 (10) P4 to P5
Note: A tree diagram may serve a better visualization of the
handshakings.
Example 2
So, as it appears, the number of handshakes is just incremented
successively by the natural numbers. This is evident because an
additional person must have a handshake with the original 𝑛 − 1
individuals. We summarize this in the following table of values:
Example 2
Conjecture: The total number of handshakes is

𝒏(𝒏 − 𝟏)
𝑵=
𝟐

This follows from the fact that the nth person will have to shake hand
with the other n-1 people. The division by 2 serves to eliminate
double counting (e.g. P1 to P2 is the same as P2 to P1).
Example 2
Conjecture: The total number of handshakes is
𝒏(𝒏 − 𝟏)
𝑵=
𝟐

Alternatively, we can reason as follows:

1 + 2 + 3 + ⋯+ 𝑛 − 3 + 𝑛 − 2 + 𝑛 − 1 = 𝑁
𝑛 − 1 + 𝑛 − 2 + 𝑛 − 3 + ⋯+ 3 + 2 + 1 = 𝑁
Add the 2 equations:
𝑛 + 𝑛 + 𝑛 + ⋯ + 𝑛 + 𝑛 + 𝑛 = 2𝑁
𝑛 𝑛 − 1 = 2𝑁
And the formula follows.
Example 3
In a neighborhood of engineers, it is known that there is a chemical, civil,
mechanical and an electrical engineer among Tito, Vic, Joey and Willy.
Identify the correct profession of each given the following clues:
• Vic gets home from work after the civil engineer but before the
electrical engineer
• Joey, who is the last to get home from work, is not the chemical
engineer.
• The electrical engineer and Joey leave for work at the same time.
• The civil engineer lives next door to Willy.
Example 3
In a neighborhood of engineers, it is
known that there is a chemical, civil,
mechanical and an electrical engineer
Chem Mech Elect
Civil Eng
among Tito, Vic, Joey and Willy. Eng Eng Eng
Identify the correct profession of each
given the following clues:
Tito X Yes! X X
(i) Vic gets home from work after the
civil engineer but before the
electrical engineer X X
Vic Yes! X
(ii) Joey, who is the last to get home by (i) by (i)
from work, is not the chemical
engineer. X
X X
(iii) The electrical engineer and Joey Joey by (i) Yes!
by (ii) by (iii)
leave for work at the same time. and (ii)
(iv) The civil engineer lives next door X
to Willy. Willy X X Yes!
by (iv)
The Tower of Hanoi Problem
The Tower of Hanoi is a puzzle invented by E. Lucas in 1883.

Given a stack of 𝑛 disks arranged from largest on the bottom to

smallest on top placed on a rod, together with two empty rods, the
tower of Hanoi puzzle asks for the minimum number of moves required
to move the stack from one rod to another, where moves are allowed
only if they place smaller disks on top of larger disks.
The Tower of Hanoi Problem
The Tower of Hanoi Problem
The Tower of Hanoi Problem
The Tower of Hanoi Problem

SUMMARY:

No. of Disks Minimum No. of Moves

1
2
3
The Tower of Hanoi Problem

CONJECTURE:

No. of Disks Minimum No. of Moves

1
2
3
⋮ ⋮
n
The Tower of Hanoi Problem

JUSTIFICATION: