ZGE 1104
Volume 3
2022
MANALANG
Mathematics in the Modern World MENDOZA
ZGE1104 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Chapter III. Problem Solving and Reasoning
What is problem solving?
A problem is a question that motivates a person to search for an answer.
Problem solving is finding solutions and not just answers to problems.
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
1. Inductive reasoning is the process of reaching a general conclusion by
examining specific examples.
A conclusion based on inductive reasoning is called a conjecture. A conjecture
may or may not be correct.
2. Deductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion by applying
general assumptions, procedure or principles.
Exercises:
a. Consider the following procedure: Choose a number. Multiply the number by 8,
add 6 to the product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3.
Complete the above procedure for several different numbers. Use inductive
reasoning to make a conjecture about the relationship between the size of the
resulting number and the size of the original number.
b. Consider the following procedure: Choose a number. Multiply the number by 8,
add 6 to the product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3.
Complete the above procedure for several different numbers. Use deductive
reasoning to show that the following procedure produces a number that is four
times the original number.
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ZGE1104 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Problem Solving with Patterns
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers.
Each number in a sequence is called a term of the sequence.
One solution to find the next term of the sequence is by using the difference table
– a table which shows the differences between successive terms of the sequence.
Exercises:
Use a difference table to predict the next term in the sequence.
a.) 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, …
b.) 2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, …
Venn diagram
Venn diagrams are the principal way of showing sets diagrammatically.
Exercises:
a. There are a total of 150 freshmen students. 85 were enrolled in a Mathematics
in the Modern World (MMW) class, 70 were enrolled in a Purposive
Communications (PC) class, 50 were enrolled for both MMW and PC
i. How many signed up only for an MMW class only?
ii. How many signed up only for a PC class only?
iii. How many signed up for MMW or PC?
iv. How many signed up neither for MMW nor PC?
b. At a breakfast buffet, 93 people chose coffee and 47 people chose juice. 25
people chose both coffee and juice. If each person chose at least one of these
beverages, how many people visited the buffet?
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ZGE1104 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Logic Puzzles
Exercises:
a. Each of four neighbors, Sean, Maria, Sarah, and Brian, has a different
occupation (editor, banker, chef, or dentist). From the following clues,
determine the occupation of each neighbor.
i. Maria gets home from work after the banker but before the dentist.
ii. Sarah, who is the last to get home from work, is not the editor.
iii. The dentist and Sarah leave for work at the same time.
iv. The banker lives next door to Brian.
b. Brianna, Ryan, Tyler, and Ashley were recently elected as the new class
officers (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer) of the sophomore class
at Summit College. From the following clues, determine which position each
holds.
i. Ashley is younger than the president but older than the treasurer.
ii. Brianna and the secretary are both the same age, and they are
the youngest members of the group.
iii. Tyler and the secretary are next-door neighbors.
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ZGE1104 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Tree diagram
It is used to list all possibilities of a sequence of events in a systematic way.
Exercises:
a. Suppose that a couple wants to have three children. Using tree diagram,
we call find all the possible outcomes for the genders of the children.
(except that the chances of having a twins)
b. Your school cafeteria offers chicken or tuna sandwiches; chips or fruit;
and milk, apple juice, or orange juice. If you purchase one sandwich,
one side item and one drink, how many different lunches can you
choose?
c. UAAP Men’s Basketball Championship is between
De La Salle Green Archers (DLSU) and UE Red Warriors UE. Determine
the number of possible outcomes of the game if a team must win two (2)
out of three (3) games.
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ZGE1104 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Problem-Solving Strategies
Polya’s Problem-Solving Strategy