NATURE OF

MATHEMATICS:
PROBLEM
SOLVING AND
REASONING
Mathematics in the Modern World
G
OUTCOM
ES
1. Apply inductive and deductive
reasoning to solve problems.

2. Solve problems involving

patterns and recreational
problems following Polya’s
Strategy.

3. Organize one’s method and

approaches for proving and
solving problems.
2023 PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING 2
 REASONIN
G

Is the process of USING

EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
to draw conclusions, make
predictions, or construct
explanations.

2023 PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING 3

 TYPES OF
REASONIN
G

1. INDUCTIVE Reasoning

2. DEDUCTIVE Reasoning

3. ABDUCTIVE Reasoning

2023 PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING 4

ABDUCTIVE
REASONING

“Taking your
best shot”.

…incomplete set
of observations
ABDUCTIVE
REASONING
ABDUCTIVE
REASONING
 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
INDUCTIVE
REASONING

-> “Do thus and so”

-> CONJECTURE

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
INDUCTIVE
REASONING

-> CONJECTURE

- is an educated guess based upon

repeated observations.

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
INDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> COUNTEREXAMPLE

-> No assurance that the

conjecture will always be
true.
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 USE INDUCTIVE REASONING TO
PREDICT THE NEXT NUMBER.

1,2,3,4,5,…
What is the next number?

6
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 USE INDUCTIVE REASONING TO
PREDICT THE NEXT NUMBER.

2,9,16,23,30,…
What is the next number?

37

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 USE INDUCTIVE REASONING TO
PREDICT THE NEXT NUMBER.

2,9,16,23,30,…

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 VERIFY THE STATEMENT IF FALSE BY
FINDING A COUNTEREXAMPLE

For all numbers x, x 2>x

TRUE OR FALSE?

FALSE

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 VERIFY THE STATEMENT IF FALSE BY
FINDING A COUNTEREXAMPLE

For all numbers x,

TRUE OR FALSE?

FALSE

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 VERIFY THE STATEMENT IF FALSE BY
FINDING A COUNTEREXAMPLE

For all numbers x,

TRUE OR FALSE?

FALSE

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> Argument
-> Premises
-> Conclusion
-> Syllogism
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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> Argument

- is the reason or reasons offered

for or against something.

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> Premises

- minor or major propositions that

serve as the bases for an argument.

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> Conclusion

- the last step in the reasoning

process.

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING
-> Syllogism

- an argument composed of two

statements or premises followed by a
conclusion.

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
DEDUCTIVE
REASONING

-> If original PREMISES are

true, then the CONCLUSION
must also be true.

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 USING DEDUCTIVE REASONING…

Today is Wednesday.
Tomorrow is Thursday.

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 USING DEDUCTIVE REASONING…

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

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 USING DEDUCTIVE REASONING…

All doctors are men.

My mother is a doctor.
Therefore, my mother is a man.

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 USING DEDUCTIVE REASONING…

General Case: “In any right triangle, the sum of the

squares of the legs is equal to the square of the
hypotenuse.” – Pythagorean Theorem
Specific Case: Given: a=3, b=4
Problem: Find the value of the hypotenuse, c

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 SOLVING
PROBLEMS BY
POLYA’S
STRATEGY
-> Named after George
Polya (1887-1985)

-> Four-step problem

solving strategy.
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 POLYA’S FOUR-STEP APPROACH TO
PROBLEM SOLVING

1. Preparation: Understand the problem

• Learn the necessary underlying mathematical
concepts
• Consider the terminology and notation used in the
problem.

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 POLYA’S FOUR-STEP APPROACH TO
PROBLEM SOLVING

2. Thinking Time: Devise a plan

• You must start somewhere so try
something.
• Possible strategies.

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 POLYA’S FOUR-STEP APPROACH TO
PROBLEM SOLVING

3. Insight: Carry out the plan

• Work out an idea or a new approach
carefully and see if it leads to a solution.
• The key is to keep trying until something
works.

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 POLYA’S FOUR-STEP APPROACH TO
PROBLEM SOLVING

4. Verification: Look back and review your

solution
• Check to see if your potential solution works.
• If your solution does not work, there may
only be a simple mistake.
• Is there a simpler way to solve the problem?

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 USING POLYA’S STRATEGY,
SOLVE THE PROBLEM:

The sum of two numbers is 30. The

first number is twice as large as the
second number. What are the
numbers?

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 USING POLYA’S STRATEGY,
SOLVE THE PROBLEM:
The sum of two numbers is 30. The first number is twice as large as the
second number. What are the numbers?

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 USING POLYA’S STRATEGY,
SOLVE THE PROBLEM:
The sum of two numbers is 30. The first number is twice as large as the
second number. What are the numbers?

Answer: 20 and 10

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 USING POLYA’S STRATEGY,
SOLVE THE PROBLEM:

In tossing two coins at a time,

what is the probability of having
two heads in a single throw?

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 USING POLYA’S STRATEGY,
SOLVE THE PROBLEM:
In tossing two coints at a time, what is the probability of having two
heads in a single throw?

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 LET’S REVIEW!
Solve the following problems using any method:
1. The sum of two numbers is 45. The first number is twice
as large as the second number. What are the numbers?
2. The product of three consecutive odd numbers is 315.
What are the numbers?

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 ACTIVITY
Use Inductive Reasoning to predict a number:
1. 5, 10, 15, 20, ___
2. 1, 3, 6, 10, ___
3. 9, 16, 25, 36, ___
4. 15, 12, 9, 6, ___, 0
5. 21, 17, 14, 10, 7, ___
6. 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, ___
7. -3, 2, -8, -3, -13, ___
8. 3/5, 5/7, 7/9, 9/11, 11/13, ___
9. 1, 5, 12, 22, 35, ___
10. 80, 70, 61, 53, 46, 40, ___
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