Solve the following problems using Polya’s Method.

Document or outline what you did in each of

the 4 steps. There are 4 versions of the problem.

A. How many possible distinct routes can be taken to get from A to B if only downward and to-
the-right moves are allowed?
Think of the sketch below as a diagram of city blocks (white squares) and streets/intersections
(gray rectangles and squares). You can move to the right or downwards but not to the left or
upwards (no backtracking)

(Hint: It may help to solve problem B first and then draw insights from the solution which can be
applied to problem A. This problem solving strategy is sometimes called “Solve a Simpler
Problem” in which you solve a simpler version of the problem to draw insights into how you can
solve the bigger problem.)

- The possible routes are 184756

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36 45 55 66

1 4 10 20 35 56 84 120 165 220 286

1 5 15 35 70 126 210 330 495 715 1001

1 6 21 56 126 252 462 792 1287 2002 3003

1 7 28 84 210 462 942 1716 3003 5005 8008

1 8 36 120 330 792 1716 3432 6435 11440 19445

1 9 45 165 495 1287 3003 6435 12870 24310 43758

1 10 55 220 715 2002 5005 11440 24310 48620 92375

1 11 66 286 1001 3003 8008 19445 43758 92375 184756

B. How many possible distinct routes can be taken to get from A to C if only downward and
to-the-right moves are allowed?
- From point A to C there are 20 possible distinct routes.
 1 1 1 1

1 2 3 5

1 3 6 10

1 4 10 20

C. How many possible distinct routes can be taken to get from A to B if only downward and to-
the-right moves are allowed and you have to visit C (the blue intersection) in between?

Hint: You may have occasion to use the problem solving strategy called “Divide and Conquer”
in which you break down a problem into smaller subproblems and solve each smaller problem
in turn. Also, you may also have occasion to “Recycle” a result you may have made in the
previous 2 problems.

- From A to B visiting C there are 68640 possible routes

1 1 1 1

1 2 3 4

1 3 6 10

1 4 10 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

20 60 120 200 300 420 560 720

20 80 200 400 700 1120 1680 2400

20 100 300 700 1400 2520 4200 6600

20 120 420 1129 2520 5040 9240 15840

20 140 560 1680 4200 9240 18480 34320

20 160 720 2400 6600 15840 34320 68640

D. How many possible distinct routes can be taken to get from A to B if only downward and to-
the-right moves are allowed and you have to visit D (green) then E (yellow) in that order in
between, i.e. the path will involve going from A to D then to E and finally to B? Justify your
answer.
- In visiting D then E is not possible since the instruction was to go
downward and to the right, going upward is not on the instruction so there
is no or zero possible route.
- Visiting E before D is not possible. We have to use only downward and to
the right since D is on the left side of E, no possible route.
- There is no possible route from A to B if I need to visit both D and E or vice
versa.