Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department
Jerd M. Dela Gente,
MSc.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
PROBLEM SOLVING
-the mental process that people go through to
discover, analyze and solve problems.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Perform the indicated operations.
1. 8 + 5 11. 3 x 4
2. 4 + 7 12. 6 x 7
3. 9 + 3 13. 8 x 3
4. 8 + 6 14. (-2) x (5)
5. (-2) + (-4) 15. (-7) x (-9)
6. 7 – 5 16. 8 ÷ 4
7. 8 – 4 17. 12 ÷ 3
8. (-5) – (-1) 18. 24 ÷ (-8)
9. (9) – (-7) 19. (-18) ÷ (-3)
10.(-11) – (7) 20. (-20) ÷ ( 4)
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Perform the indicated operations.
1. 8 + 5=13 11. 3 x 4=12
2. 4 + 7=11 12. 6 x 7=42
3. 9 + 3=12 13. 8 x 3=24
4. 8 + 6=14 14. (-2) x (5)=-10
5. (-2) + (-4)=-6 15. (-7) x (-9)=63
6. 7 – 5=2 16. 8 ÷ 4=2
7. 8 – 4=4 17. 12 ÷ 3=4
8. (-5) – (-1)=-4 18. 24 ÷ (-8)=-3
9. (9) – (-7) =16 19. (-18) ÷ (-3)=6
10.(-11) – (7)=-18 20. (-20) ÷ ( 4)=-5
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
George Polya (1887-1985)
The father of
problem-solving
A mathematics
educator who
strongly believed
that the skill of
problem solving
can be taught.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Polya’s Four-Step Problem
Solving Strategy
Step 1 : Understand the problem.
Step 2 : Devise a plan.
Step 3 : Carry out the plan.
Step 4 : Review the solution
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step 1 Understand the Problem
*What is the goal?
*What is being asked?
*What is the condition?
*What sort of a problem is it?
*What is known or unknown?
*Is there enough information?
*Can you draw a figure to illustrate the problem?
*Is there a way to restate the problem in your
own words?
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step 2 Devise a plan
• Act it out.
• Be systematic.
• Work backwards.
• Consider special cases.
• Eliminate possibilities.
• Perform an experiment.
• Draw a picture/diagram.
• Make a list or table/chart.
• Use a variable, such as x.
• Look for a formula/formulas.
• Write an equation or model.
• Look for a pattern/patterns.
• Use direct or indirect reasoning.
• Solve a simple version of the problem.
• Guess and check your answer (trial and error).
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step 3 Carry out the plan
• Be patient.
• Work carefully.
• Modify the plan or try a new plan.
• Keep trying until something works.
• Implement the strategy and strategies in step 2.
• Try another strategy if the first one isn’t working.
• Keep a complete and accurate record of your work.
• Be determined and don’t get discouraged if the plan
does not work immediately.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step 4 Review the solution
• Look for an easier solution.
• Does the answer make sense?
• Check the results in the orignal problem.
• Interpret the solution with the facts of the problem.
• Recheck any computations involved in the solution.
• Can the solution be extended to a more general case?
• Ensure that all the conditions related to the problem are
met.
• Determine whether there is another method of finding the
solution.
• Ensure the consistency of the solution in the context of the
problem.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Example #1: The GSW basketball team won three
out of their last six games. In how many different
orders could they have attained three wins and three
losses in six games?
Step 1 Understand the problem
*There are many different ways. GSW may have won
three straight wins and three losses (WWWLLL), or may
be they lost in the first three games and won in the last
three games (LLLWWW). Likewise, there are several
orders.
Step 2 Devise a plan
One can recognize a list of all the possibilities making
sure that no entry will be duplicated.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step 3 Carry out the plan.
Three Ws must be present in every entry without duplication.
1. WWWLLL 9. WLWLLW 17. LWWLWL
2. WWLWLL 10. WLWLWL 18. LWLLWW
3. WWLLWL 11. LLLWWW 19. LWLWWL
4. WWLLLW 12. LLWLWW 20. LWLWLW
5. WLLLWW 13. LLWWLW
6. WLLWWL 14. LLWWWL
7. WLLWLW 15. LWWWLL
8. WLWWLL 16. LWWLLW
Step 4 Review the solution
The list is organized and has no duplicates, so there are 20
different orders in which a basketball team can win exactly three
out of six games.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Example #2
Leonardo da Vinci was famous artist during the
Rennaissance period. He wrote in his notebook that
“from the top to the bottom of the chin is the sixth part
of the face, and it is the fifty-fourth part of the man”.
Suppose the distance from the top to the bottom of
the chin of the person is 1.2 [Link] Leonardo da
Vinci’s measurements, find the height of the person.
Step 1 Understand the problem.
Obviously, one needs to find the height of the person in
this problem.
Step 2 Devise a plan.
Let x represent the unknown height of the person. Write an
equation satisfying da Vinci’s measurements.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Step3 Carry out the plan.
Let = height of the person
Equation
inches or feet tall.
Thus, the person is 5.4 ft tall.
Step 4. Review the solution
The solution is quite simple.
Practice conversion from inches to feet and vice versa.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Exercises
Direction: Follow the Polya’s Four-Step Problem Solving Strategy.
Solve the following using Polya’s problem solving
strategies.
1. Suppose the NCAA basketball championships is
decided on a best of five series game. In how many
different ways can a team win the championships?
2. Two times the sum of a number and 3 is equal to
thrice the number plus 4. Find the number.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
3. It’s dark. You have ten grey socks and ten blue socks you
want to put into pairs. All socks are exactly the same except
for their colour. How many socks would you need to take with
you to ensure you had at least a pair?
A. 2 C. 8
B. 3 D. 16
4. If 9999 = 4, 8888 = 8, 1818 = 6, 1212 = 0, then 1919 = ?
A. 10 C. 2
B. 4 D. 12
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
5. You are in the downstairs lobby of a house. There are three
switches, all in the "off' position. Upstairs, there is a room with a
lightbulb that is turned off. One and only one of the three
switches controls the bulb. You want to discover which switch
controls the bulb, but you are only allowed to go upstairs once.
How do you do it? (No fancy strings, telescopes, etc. allowed.
You cannot see the upstairs room from downstairs. The lightbulb
is a standard 100-watt bulb.)
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department
Jerd M. Dela Gente,
MSc.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Institute of Computing and Engineering
Mathematics Department | Jerd M. Dela Gente, MSc.
