Module 6. Problem Solving
Module 6. Problem Solving
Module 6. Problem Solving
Mathematics is not just about numbers; much of it is problem solving and reasoning.
Problem solving is one of the most important skills for human beings to survive. More than ever,
good problem solving skills are recognized as vital for success in the modern world. Almost
every individual engages in problems solving at home, in the work place and is crucial in
running the affairs of the society. Two goals of this chapter are to help you become a better
problem solver and to demonstrate that problem solving can be an enjoyable experience.
Become familiar of the problem solving heuristics and be able to identify the strategy
most appropriate for the problem
Use problem-solving strategies to investigate and understand mathematical content
Acquire skill in developing and applying a variety of strategies to solve problems
Verify and generalize results with respect to the original problem situation
Gain confidence in using mathematics meaningfully to solve problems
To start the lesson on problem solving, please do the following mental exercise and give your
final answer.
“If the third number is less than the first number, circle the second number unless the second
number is less than the fourth number. In this case, circle the number that is the difference
between the first number and the sixth number.”
6 2 3 5 4 1
Two types of reasoning are used when solving a problem: inductive reasoning and
deductive reasoning.
Examples
(a) Predict the next symbol in the list
Hint: Look for a pattern that involves counting numbers and symmetry about a line
(b) Problems on IQ usually relates patterns to input-output machine. The diagram below shows
the output for a given input.
What would the machine give as output for the following input?
(c) Study carefully the diagram below. How many regions are there with 6 dots on the circle?
Therefore, Sean is the banker, Maria is the editor, Sarah is the chef, and Brian is the dentist.
Try this
2.2
2.3 Guess and Check
Counterexamples
A statement is a true statement provided that it is true in all cases. If you can find one case for
which a statement is not true, called a counterexample, then the statement is a false statement.
Question. How many counterexamples are needed to prove that a statement is false?
Try this
Verify that each of the following statements is a false statementby finding a counterexample for
each.
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Mental Exercise
A. Determine whether each of the following arguments uses inductive reasoning or deductive
Reasoning
a) You will not fail this course if you study enough. You are studying enough. Therefore you
will pass this course.
b. To earn extra income, Leslie decides to sell face shield due to the implementation of NO
FACE SHIELD, NO RIDE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION policy.
c. On the first day of the implementation, Leslie was able to sell 15 face shields, on the 2nd
he sold 18, and on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th days, he was able to sell 12, 15, and 10 face shields,
respectively. On the 6th day Leslie expects to sell around 14 face shields.
d. In an unfamiliar language, enic lod nam means “nice old man”, enic moor means “nice
room” and elttil nam means “little man”. How would you say “old room”?
B. Counterexamples
Find a pair of numbers that provides a counterexample to show that the given statement is false.
b1) If the sum of two counting numbers is an even counting number, then the product of
the two counting numbers is an even counting number.
b2) If the product of two counting numbers is an even counting number, then both of the
counting numbers are even counting numbers.
a) Use inductive reasoning to predict the next three numbers in the sequence:
2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ___, ___, ___
c)
d) You need to buy groceries at the supermarket, deposit a check at the credit union, and
purchase a book at the bookstore. You can complete the errands in any order; however,
you must start and end at your home. The driving time in minutes between each of these
locations is given in the following figure.
Find a route for which total driving time is less than 30 minutes.
Do a Google search for the string “studies texting while driving”. Suppose that you’ve driven
while texting 10 times in the past without any incident. How likely would you be to text while
driving if you (a) use inductive reasoning, and (b) deductive reasoning based on your Google
search. Describe your reasoning in each case.
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e)