G-Math 100

Problem Solving
6th synchronous meeting
1st sem 2021-2022
Rhea R. Mateo
 Let us
remember
that we are
in the most
holy
presence of
GOD
Preview
Problem Solving
◦Problem solving can be
defined as the process of
identifying the difference
between the actual and the
desired state of affairs and
then taking action to resolve
the difference.
 2. Polya’s Four-Step
Problem Solving Strategy
(George Polya)

1. Inductive •
•
Understand the Problem
Devise a Plan
and Deductive • Carry out the plan
Reasoning • Review the Solution

3. Logic Puzzles
• KenKen Puzzle
• Tangrams
Inductive Reasoning

•Inductive reasoning is the process of

reaching a general conclusion by examining
specific examples.
•The conclusion formed by using inductive
reasoning is a conjecture, since it may or
may not be correct.
•Specific to general
 Use inductive reasoning to predict the next
number in each of the following lists:

1. 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , _____

Examples:
2. 2 , 5 , 10 , 17 , 26 ,_____

3. 1 , 8 , 27 , 64 , 125 ,_____
 •A statement is a true statement provide that
it is true in all cases. If you can find one case
for which a statement is not true, called a
Counterexample counterexample, then the statement is a
false statement.
 Verify that each of the following statements is a false
statement by finding a counterexample.

1.

2.

3.
Deductive •Deductive reasoning is the process of
reaching a conclusion by applying general
Reasoning assumptions, procedures, or principles.
•General to specific
Example: Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure
always produces a number that is equal to the original number.

1 2 3 4 5
Pick a Multiply the Divide the Subtract twice Subtract 4.
number. number by 6 sum by 2. the original
and add 8. number.
Inductive Reasoning vs.
Deductive Reasoning
 Examples
a. During the past 10
years, a tree has produced
Determine whether each plums
b. All home improvements
of the following
arguments is an example every
cost moreother
thanyear.
the Last
of inductive reasoning or year the tree did not
estimate.
deductive reasoning. produce
The contractor
plums, sothat
estimated thismy
year the
home
tree will produce
improvement willplums.
cost $35,000. Thus my
home improvement will
cost
 Polya’s Four-Step Problem Solving Strategy

Understand the problem. Devise a plan.

Carry out the plan. Review the solution.

 An ordered list of numbers such as
5, 14, 27, 44, 65, ...
is called a sequence. The numbers
Terms of a in a sequence that are separated
Sequence by commas
In the aboveare the terms
sequence, 5 isofthe
the
sequence.
first term, 14 is the second term,
Terms of a
Sequence 27 is the third term, 44 is the
fourth term,
The three and
dots 65indicate
“...” is the fifth
that
term.
the sequence continues beyond
65, which is the last written term.
It is customary to use the
subscript notation an to designate
the nth term of a sequence.
Terms•We
ofoften
a Sequence
construct a difference table, which shows the differences
between successive terms of the sequence. The following table is a
difference table for the sequence
2, 5, 8, 11, 14, ...

•Each of the numbers in row (1) of the table is the difference

between the two closest numbers just above it (upper right number
minus upper left number). The differences in row (1) are called the
first differences of the sequence.
Terms of
•Theafollowing
Sequencetable is a difference table for the sequence
5, 14, 27, 44, 65, ...

In this table, the first differences are not all the same. In
such a situation it is often helpful to compute the
successive differences of the first differences. These are
shown in row (2).
Terms of a Sequence
To predict
These The
the next term
differences of differences of
of a
the first the second
sequence, we
differences differences
often look for
are called the are called the
a pattern in a
second third
row of
differences. differences.
differences.
Example 1 Predict the Next Term of a Sequence

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

• 2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, ...
•Solution:
•Construct a difference table as shown below.
More
examples…
Other examples:
PROBLEM 1:

The product of the ages, in years, of 3

teenagers is 4590. None of the teens are
the same age. What are the ages of the
teenagers?
Solution
Note that 4590 ends with a zero, so we have
factors 5 and 2 (or an even number)
15(16)(18) = 4320
15(16)(19)= 4560
15(17)(18)=4590
PROBLEM 2:

Carl Friedrich Gauss, a French mathematician,

when he was 10 years old ( younger than you),
was challenged by his teacher to compute the
sum of the numbers 1 to 100.
 He discovered a way to add them : add the
numbers in pairs, the first and the last, the
second and the second from the last, and so on.
1 + 100 = 101
2 + 99 = 101
3 + 98 = 101
The sum is always 101. Note that there are 50
of them. Hence the sum is
S = 50(101)= 5,050 !
PROBLEM 3:
•A baseball team won two out of their best
four games. In how many different orders
could they have two wins and two losses in
four games?

Solution
WWLL     LWWL   LLWW  WLWL  LWLW  WLLW
Try this!
PROBLEM 4:
•A hat and a jacket together cost $100 . The
jacket costs $90 more than the hat. What are the
cost of the hat and the cost of the jacket?
Try this!
PROBLEM 5:
•There are 364 first-grade students in Park
Elementary School. If there are 26 more girls
than boys, how many girls are there?
Try this!
PROBLEM 6:
•If eight people greet each other at a meeting by
shaking hands with one another how many
handshakes take place?

Solution:
number of handshakes=[n(n-1)]/2
Answer: 28 handshakes took place
Try this!
PROBLEM 7 :
•A room measures 12 feet by 15 feet. How many
3 foot by 3 foot squares of carpet are needed to
cover the floor of his room?
Try this!
PROBLEM 8:
Find : 1+ 2 + 3 + 4 +….+ 63 + 64 + 65
More Puzzles
Ken Ken Puzzle
What is a Puzzle?
Dictionary says….

•puz·zle
• (pŭz′əl)n.
•1. Something, such as a game, toy, or problem, that
requires ingenuity and often persistence in solving or
assembling.
•2. Something that baffles or confuses; an enigma:
the puzzle of the author's true identity.
•3. The condition of being perplexed; bewilderment:
I'm really in a puzzle over how this happened.
What is KenKen Puzzle?
Kenken puzzle ( also called MathDoku)
• arithmetic-based logic puzzle
• Invented by Tetsuya Miyamoto (a Japanese
mathematics teacher) in 2004
• Ken has “knowledge” and “awareness” as
synonyms
• Generates the thinking and problem-solving skills
of students
• Similar to Sudoku puzzles
 For a 3 by 3 puzzle, fill in each
box( square ) of the grid with
Rules for one of the numbers 1,2, or 3.

solving a For a 4 by 4 puzzle, fill in each

box( square ) of the grid with
KenKen one of the numbers 1,2, 3 or 4.
Puzzle For an n by n puzzle, fill in each
box( square ) of the grid with
one of the numbers 1,2, 3 , 4,…
n-1, n.
 • Do not repeat a number in any row or column.
Rules for • The numbers in each heavily outlined set of
solving a squares, called cages, must combine (in some
order) to produce the target number in the top
KenKen left corner of the cage using the mathematical
operation indicated.
Puzzle (cont.) • 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.
• (refer to page 63 of your textbook)
Example 1:
 4
Cages with just one square should
be filled in with the target number.

2
 4 3
Fill up the violet cages by 4 and 3
since 4-3= 1
4

2
 4 3
Fill up the vacant box below 4 by 1.

4
Fill up the gray cage by 1 and 4
since 1+4=5.
1
Fill up the white cage by 3.

3 4 1 2
 4 3
Fill up the vacant white box by 2
since 3-2=1.
1 2 4
Fill up the green box by 1, 3 and 2
since 1+3+2=6.
2 3 1

3 4 1 2
 4 1 2 3
Fill up the vacant pink boxes by 4
and 3 since 4x3x1=12.
1 2 3 4
Fill up the blue cage by 1 and 2
since 21=1.
2 3 4 1

3 4 1 2
Reference:

Mathematics of the
Modern World
Rex Book Store, Inc.
Pp56-100
That’s all, folks!