POLYA’S STEPS IN

PROBLEM SOLVING

Understand
the
Problem
Devise a Plan

Carry out the Plan

Look Back
 Devise a Carry out
Look Back
Plan the Plan


 Do you understand all the words used in stating the
problem?
 What are you asked to find or show?


 Can
Can you
you restate
think ofthe problem
a picture orin your own
diagram thatwords?
might help you
understand the problem?
 Is there enough information to enable you to find a
solution?
 Understand the Carry out
Look Back
Problem the Plan


Find the connection between the
data and
the unknown. You may be obliged to consider
auxiliary problems if an immediate connection
cannot be found. You should obtain eventually a
plan of the solution.
Polya mentions that there are many
reasonable ways to solve problems. The skill at
choosing an appropriate strategy is best learned by
 Understand the Carry out
Problem
j the Plan
Look Back

AMake a listlist
partial of the known
of strategies 
isTry to solve a similar but
included:
information. simpler problem.
 Make a list of information  Look for a pattern.
that is needed.  Write an equation. If
 Draw a diagram. necessary, define what
 Make an organized list that each variable represents.
shows all the possibilities.  Perform an experiment.
 Make a table or a chart.  Guess at a solution and then
 Work backwards. check your result.
46
Understand the Devise a Look
Problem Plan
Back

■Work carefully.
■Keep an accurate and neat record of all
your attempts.
■Realize that some of your initial plans will
not work and that you may have to devise
another plan or modify your existing plan.
Understand the Devise a Carry out
Problem Plan the Plan


Once you have found a solution, check the
solution.

■Ensure that the solution is consistent with the

facts of the problem.
■Interpret the solution in the context of the
problem.
■Ask yourself whether there are generalizations of
EXAMPLES
 Number Problems
Example
There are two numbers whose sum is 72.
One number is twice the other. What are
the numbers ?
1. Read the problem. It is about numbers.
2. The question at the end asks, “What are
the numbers?”
3. Create a let statement.
Let x = smaller number
2x = larger number
 4. Reread the problem. It states that the
sum of the two numbers is 72.
5. Translate the problem into an equation
and solve.
Larger number = 2x
x + 2x = 72
= 2(24)
3x = 72
Larger number = 48
x = 24
6. The answers are: The smaller number is
24 and the larger number is 48.
7. Is this sensible ? Yes, because the sum of
24 and 48 is 72.
The sum of two consecutive integers
is 15. Find the numbers.
Representation
Let n - the first number
n + 1 - the second number
Solution n+1=7+1=8
n + (n + 1) = Therefore:
The first number is 7
15  1 = 15 
2n +
2n = 14  The second number is 8
n = 7 
The product of two consecutive
negative even integers is 24. Find the
numbers.
Representation:
Let n – the first number
n + 2 – second number
Solution N + 6= 0; n – 4 = 0
n ( n + 2) = 24 n = -6 and n=4
n2 + 2n = 24 Therefore:
n2 +2n - 24= 0 The first number is -6 and
(n + 6)(n-4) = the second number is -4
Twice the larger of two numbers is three
more than five times the smaller, and the
sum of four times the larger and three
times the smaller is 71. What are the
numbers?
Representation: the larger number:  x 
the smaller number:  y
twice the larger:  2x 
three more than five times the
smaller:  5y + 3 
relationship between ("is"):  2x = 5y + 3
four times the larger:  4x 
three times the smaller:  3y 
relationship between ("sum of"):  4x +
3y = 71
Now I have two equations in two
variables:
2x = 5y + 3 
4x + 3y = 71
 I will solve, say, the first equation for x:
x = (5/2)y + (3/2)
Then I'll plug the right-hand side of this
into the second equation in place of the
"x":
4[ (5/2)y + (3/2) ] + 3y = 71 
10y + 6 + 3y = 71 
13y + 6 = 71 
13y = 65 
y = 65/13 = 5
Now that I have the value for y, I can solve
for x:
x = (5/2)y + (3/2) 
x = (5/2)(5) + (3/2) 
x = (25/2) + (3/2) 
x = 28/2 = 14
As always, I need to remember to answer the
question that was actually asked. The solution
here is not "x= 14", but is the following
sentence:
The larger number is 14, and the smaller
number is 5.
If one number is three times as large as
another number. And if the smaller
number is increased by 19, the result is 6
less than twice the larger number. What is
the larger number?
Representation: Let x be the smaller number
3x be the larger number
Solution:
X + 19 = 2(3x) - 6 Therefore the larger
5x = 25
X=5
number is 15
3x = 3(5) = 15
The sum of three consecutive integers is 306.
What is the largest integer?
Representation:
Let x be the first number
x+ 1 be the second number
x + 2 be the third number
Solution:
X + x+1 + x +2 = 306
3x = 303 Therefore the largest
X = 101 number is 103
X+ 2 = 101 +2 = 103
The sum of the first and third of three
consecutive odd integers is 131 less than three
times the second integer. Find the three
integers.
Representation: Let x, x + 2 and x + 4 be three
integers. The sum of the first x and third x + 4
is given by 
x + (x + 4) 
131 less than three times the second 3(x + 2) is
given by 
3(x + 2) - 131 
"The sum of the first and third is 131 less
than three times the second" gives 
x + (x + 4) = 3(x + 2) - 131 
Solve for x and find all three numbers 
x = 129 , x + 2 = 131 , x + 4 = 133 
Therefore :
the three numbers are 129, 131 and 133
The numerator of a fraction is 3 less than the
denominator. If the numerator and
denominator are each increased by 1, the
resulting fraction is ¾. What is the original
Fraction?
Representation:
Let x be the denominator
x-3 be the numerator
(x-3)/x be the original fraction
Solution: (x-2)/(x+1) = 3/4
(x-3) + 1 = 3/4 X = 11 and x - 3 = 8
x+1 Therefore: the original fraction is 8/11
Doubling a number and subtracting it from 35
will result in triple the value of the number.
What is the number?
Representation: Let x – the number
Solution: x=7
35 – 2x = 3x Therefore: The number is
Find the number whose7 fourth part exceeds
the fifth part by 8. What is the number?
Solution:
¼(x) = (1/5)x + 8 X = 160 the number
The sum of two numbers is 39. Their
difference is 7. What are the numbers?
Representation: Let x – the smaller number
39- x - the larger number
Solution:
( 39 – x ) – x = 7
x = 16
39 – x = 39 – 16 = 23
Therefore the two
numbers are 16 and 23
One number is 3 less than twice a second
number. Twelve times the first number
decreased by twice a second number is 9 more
than 7 times the second number. What are the
numbers?
Representation: Let x - the first number
y - the second number
Solution
x = 2y -3 eq. 1 x = 3 and y = 3
12x -2y = 7y + 9 Therefore: the numbers
are 3 and 3
Strategy for Problem Solving

General Strategy for Problem Solving

1) Understand the problem

 Read and reread the problem

 Choose a variable to represent the unknown
 Construct a drawing, whenever possible
 Propose a solution and check
2) Translate the problem into an equation
3) Solve the equation
4) Interpret the result

 Check proposed solution in problem

 State your conclusion
 Finding an Unknown Number

Example
The product of twice a number and three is the same as the
difference of five times the number and ¾. Find the number.
1.) Understand
Read and reread the problem. If we let
x = the unknown number, then “twice a number” translates to 2x,
“the product of twice a number and three” translates to 2x · 3,
“five times the number” translates to 5x, and
“the difference of five times the number and ¾” translates to 5x – ¾.
Continued
 Finding an Unknown Number
Example continued
2.) Translate

The product of the difference of

twice a is the same as
5 times the
number and 3 and ¾
number

2x · 3 = 5x – ¾

Continued
 Finding an Unknown Number
Example continued
3.) Solve
2x · 3 = 5x – ¾
6x = 5x – ¾ (Simplify left side)
6x + (– 5x) = 5x + (– 5x) – ¾ (Add –5x to both sides)
x=–¾ (Simplify both sides)
4.) Interpret
Check: Replace “number” in the original statement of the problem
with – ¾. The product of twice – ¾ and 3 is 2(– ¾)(3) = – 4.5. The
difference of five times – ¾ and ¾ is 5(– ¾) – ¾ = – 4.5. We get the
same results for both portions.
State: The number is – ¾.
 Solving a Problem

Example
A car rental agency advertised renting a Buick Century for $24.95
per day and $0.29 per mile. If you rent this car for 2 days, how
many whole miles can you drive on a $100 budget?
1.) Understand
Read and reread the problem. Let’s propose that we drive a total of
100 miles over the 2 days. Then we need to take twice the daily rate
and add the fee for mileage to get 2(24.95) + 0.29(100) = 49.90 + 29
= 78.90. This gives us an idea of how the cost is calculated, and also
know that the number of miles will be greater than 100. If we let
x = the number of whole miles driven, then
0.29x = the cost for mileage driven Continued
 Solving a Problem
Example continued
2.) Translate

Daily costs mileage costs maximum budget

plus is equal to

2(24.95) + 0.29x = 100

Continued
 Solving a Problem
Example continued
3.) Solve
2(24.95) + 0.29x = 100
49.90 + 0.29x = 100 (Simplify left side)
49.90 – 49.90 + 0.29x = 100 – 49.90 (Subtract 49.90 from both sides)

0.29x = 50.10 (Simplify both sides)

0.29 x 50.10
 (Divide both sides by 0.29)
0.29 0.29

x  172.75 (Simplify both sides)

Continued
 Solving a Problem
Example continued
4.) Interpret
Check: Recall that the original statement of the problem asked
for a “whole number” of miles. If we replace “number of
miles” in the problem with 173, then 49.90 + 0.29(173) =
100.07, which is over our budget. However, 49.90 + 0.29(172)
= 99.78, which is within the budget.
State: The maximum number of whole number miles is 172.
 Formulas and Problem Solving
 Formulas

A formula is an equation that states a known relationship among multiple quantities

(has more than one variable in it)

A = lw (Area of a rectangle = length · width)

I = PRT (Simple Interest = Principal · Rate · Time)
P=a+b+c (Perimeter of a triangle = side a + side b + side c)
d = rt (distance = rate · time)
V = lwh (Volume of a rectangular solid = length · width · height)
 Using Formulas

Example
A flower bed is in the shape of a triangle with one side twice the
length of the shortest side, and the third side is 30 feet more than the
length of the shortest side. Find the dimensions if the perimeter is
102 feet.
1.) Understand
Read and reread the problem. Recall that the formula for the
perimeter of a triangle is P = a + b + c. If we let
x = the length of the shortest side, then
2x = the length of the second side, and
x + 30 = the length of the third side Continued
 Using Formulas
Example continued
2.) Translate
Formula: P = a + b + c Substitute: 102 = x + 2x + x + 30
3.) Solve
102 = x + 2x + x + 30
102 = 4x + 30 (Simplify right side)
102 – 30 = 4x + 30 – 30 (Subtract 30 from both sides)
72 = 4x (Simplify both sides)
72 4 x
 (Divide both sides by 4)
4 4
18 = x (Simplify both sides) Continued
 Using Formulas
Example continued
4.) Interpret
Check: If the shortest side of the triangle is 18 feet, then the
second side is 2(18) = 36 feet, and the third side is 18 + 30 = 48
feet. This gives a perimeter of P = 18 + 36 + 48 = 102 feet, the
correct perimeter.
State: The three sides of the triangle have a length of 18 feet,
36 feet, and 48 feet.
 Solving Formulas
It is often necessary to rewrite a formula so that it is
solved for one of the variables.
This is accomplished by isolating the designated
variable on one side of the equal sign.
Solving Equations for a Specific Variable
1) Multiply to clear fractions
2) Use distributive to remove grouping symbols
3) Combine like terms to simply each side
4) Get all terms containing specified variable on the
same time, other terms on opposite side
5) Isolate the specified variable
Solving Equations for a Specific Variable

Example
Solve for n.

T  mnr

T mnr
 (Divide both sides by mr)
mr mr

T
n (Simplify right side)
mr
Solving Equations for a Specific Variable

Example
Solve for T.
A  P  PRT
A  P  P  P  PRT (Subtract P from both sides)

A  P  PRT (Simplify right side)

A  P PRT
 (Divide both sides by PR)
PR PR
A P
T (Simplify right side)
PR
Solving Equations for a Specific Variable

Example
Solve for P.
A  P  PRT

A  P(1  RT ) (Factor out P from both terms on the

right side)
A P (1  RT )
 (Divide both sides by 1 + RT)
1  RT 1  RT

A
P (Simplify the right side)
1  RT
 Percent and Mixture Problem Solving
Solving a Percent Problem

A percent problem has three different parts:

amount = percent · base
Any one of the three quantities may be unknown.

1. When we do not know the amount:

n = 10% · 500

2. When we do not know the base:

50 = 10% · n

3. When we do not know the percent:

50 = n · 500
Solving a Percent Problem: Amount Unknown

amount = percent · base

What is 9% of 65?

n = 9% · 65
n = (0.09) (65)
n = 5.85

5.85 is 9% of 65
Solving a Percent Problem: Base Unknown

amount = percent · base

36 is 6% of what?

36 = 6% · n
36 = 0.06n
36 0.06n
=
0.06 0.06
600 = n
36 is 6% of 600
Solving a Percent Problem: Percent Unknown

amount = percent · base

24 is what percent of 144?

24 = n  144
24 = 144n
24 144n
=
144 144
0.16 = n
2 2
16 % = n 24 is 16 % of 144
3 3
 Solving Markup Problems

Example
Mark is taking Peggy out to dinner. He has $66 to spend. If he wants
to tip the server 20%, how much can he afford to spend on the meal?

Let n = the cost of the meal.

Cost of meal n + tip of 20% of the cost = $66
100% of n + 20% of n = $66
120% of n = $66
1.2n  66
1.2n 66

1.2 1.2 Mark and Peggy can spend
n  55 up to $55 on the meal itself.
 Solving Discount Problems

Example
Julie bought a leather sofa that was on sale for 35% off the original
price of $1200. What was the discount? How much did Julie pay
for the sofa?
Discount = discount rate  list price
= 35%  1200
= 420 The discount was $420.

Amount paid = list price – discount

= 1200 – 420
= 780 Julie paid $780 for the sofa.
Solving Increase Problems

amount of increase
Percent of increase =
original amount

Example
The cost of a certain car increased from $16,000 last year to
$17,280 this year. What was the percent of increase?
Amount of increase = original amount – new amount
= 17,280 – 16,000 = 1280
amount of increase
Percent of increase =
original amount
1280
= = 0.08 The car’s cost increased by 8%.
16000
 Solving Decrease Problems

amount of decrease
Percent of decrease =
original amount

Example
Patrick weighed 285 pounds two years ago. After dieting, he reduced
his weight to 171 pounds. What was the percent of decrease in his
weight?
Amount of decrease = original amount – new amount
= 285 – 171 = 114
amount of decrease
Percent of decrease =
original amount
114 Patrick’s weight
= = 0.4 decreased by 40%.
285
 Solving Mixture Problems
Example
The owner of a candy store is mixing candy worth $6 per pound with
candy worth $8 per pound. She wants to obtain 144 pounds of candy
worth $7.50 per pound. How much of each type of candy should she
use in the mixture?
1.) Understand
Let n = the number of pounds of candy costing $6 per pound.
Since the total needs to be 144 pounds, we can use 144  n for
the candy costing $8 per pound.

Continued
 Solving Mixture Problems
Example continued
2.) Translate
Use a table to summarize the information.
Number of Pounds Price per Pound Value of Candy
$6 candy n 6 6n
$8 candy 144  n 8 8(144  n)
$7.50 candy 144 7.50 144(7.50)

6n + 8(144  n) = 144(7.5)

# of # of # of
pounds of pounds of pounds of
$6 candy $8 candy $7.50
candy Continued
 Solving Mixture Problems
Example continued
3.) Solve
6n + 8(144  n) = 144(7.5)
6n + 1152  8n = 1080 (Eliminate the parentheses)
1152  2n = 1080 (Combine like terms)
2n = 72 (Subtract 1152 from both sides)
n = 36 (Divide both sides by 2)
She should use 36 pounds of the $6 per pound candy.
She should use 108 pounds of the $8 per pound candy.
(144  n) = 144  36 = 108
Continued
 Solving Mixture Problems
Example continued
4.) Interpret
Check: Will using 36 pounds of the $6 per pound candy and
108 pounds of the $8 per pound candy yield 144 pounds of
candy costing $7.50 per pound?
?
6(36) + 8(108) = 144(7.5)
?
216 + 864 = 1080
?
1080 = 1080 

State: She should use 36 pounds of the $6 per pound candy and
108 pounds of the $8 per pound candy.