Chapter 3

PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING

I think, therefore I am. A simple statement from René Descartes, yep the same
one responsible for the Cartesian plane, that many believe to be the essence of what
is it to be human. Although humans also move by instinct, most of our decisions when
facing problems are guided by reasoning, whether flawed or perfect. Even with the
most basic problems, such as “I am hungry, what do I eat?” still requires us to think.

But what does it really mean by thinking? According to neuroscientists thinking

is a conscious process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something.
There are many types of thinking but problem solving and reasoning are two key types.

In this chapter we are going to discuss the basics of problem solving and
reasoning, specifically for mathematical problems.

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 Lesson 3.1
TYPES OF REASONING

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to
1. Identify if an argument is inductive or deductive in nature. Apply
inductive and deductive reasoning to solve problems.

Reasoning, according to Oxford dictionary, is the action of thinking about

something in a logical and sensible way. As we can infer from the definition the so-
called “gut-feeling” and “women’s intuition” are basically not included in reasoning.
Reasoning is generally classified into two types, inductive and deductive, where the
difference is on how the conclusion is obtained.

Deductive Reasoning

This type of reasoning starts with some general ideas, called premises, then
applying it to a specific situation. Deductive reasoning is also used in the scientific
method to test hypotheses and theories. Scientists and researchers predict the
consequences of the theory assuming that the theory in itself is correct.

Deductive reasoning follows steps. Given a major (first) premise and a minor
(second or succeeding if there are more) premise, the last statement is the inference
or conclusion. Assuming that both major and minor premises are true then it is
guaranteed that the conclusion is true. If the premises are true and the inference is
true then the reasoning is valid, otherwise it is invalid.

To further understand deductive reasoning, here is a classic example.

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Example 3.1.1

Consider the following statements.

1. All catholic priests are men.

2. Padre Damaso is a catholic priest.
3. Therefore, Padre Damaso is a Man.

The first statement is true and so is the second statement leading to an

unavoidable conclusion. If a group possesses a certain property (in this case the group
being catholic priests and the property being a man) and an individual (Padre
Damaso) is a member of the group, then the individual must possess that property.

Inductive Reasoning

This type of reasoning uses specific examples to arrive at a conclusion. Here,

the conclusion serves as the generalization of the observed pattern exhibited by a
group of individual samples. Unlike deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning does not
follow a standard format. If deductive reasoning is used to prove a conclusion,
inductive reasoning is used to predict a conclusion. It does not create a definite
conclusion but tries to provide a probable one.

Example 3.2.2

Modifying the previous example,

1. Jessie is not using his bike.

2. It is raining.
3. Therefore, Jessie won’t use his bike because it is
raining.

In summary,

1. Deduction gets you to a definite conclusion – if and only if all your premises
are correct.
2. Deduction is from theory to experiment to validation of the theory while
Induction is from observation to generalization to theory.
3. Deduction is better in scientific/controlled settings as the facts to structure
the argument are easier to find than in the real world. On the other hand,
induction is better in the real world as most often than not we deal with
incomplete information and induction gives us a most probable answer.
4. Both types of reasoning can be used to solve a single problem, however,
one must not argue with the force of deduction while actually using
induction.

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Practice Exercises

A. Determine if the following arguments are inductive or deductive.

1. All squares are rectangles and all rectangles have four sides, thus all
squares have four sides.
2. Every time you eat nuts your throat swells. This is similar to people having
allergic reaction to nuts. You must be allergic to nuts.
3. Bantay is a dog and all dogs have a keen sense of smell, therefore Bantay
has a keen sense of smell.
4. All cars in this town are right-hand drives. It can be safe to say that all cars
in this region are right-hand drives.

B. Provide the conclusion for the following arguments

1. The last few Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have been successful.
Black Panther 2 is an MCU movie.
Therefore, __________________________.
2. My neighbor’s cat hisses at me always.
At the pet store, all the cats hiss at me.
Therefore, __________________________.
3. All numbers ending in 0 or 5 are divisible by 5.
35 ends in 5.
Therefore, __________________________.
4. The left-handed people I know are silent.
Therefore, __________________________.

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 Exercise 3.1
Types of Reasoning
Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Identify whether the given argument is inductive or deductive.

Answer
1. All birds have beaks. All chickens are birds. Therefore,
chickens have beaks.
2. Yennefer always leaves for school at 6:30 a.m.
Yennefer is always on time. Yennefer assumes that if
she leaves at 6:30 a.m. for school today, then she will
be on time.
3. Bobby is showing a big diamond ring to his friend Larry.
Bobby has told Larry that he is planning to marry Jenny.
Bob must be surprising Jenny with the diamond ring
tonight.
4. All noble gases are stable. Hydrogen is a noble gas, so
hydrogen is stable.
5. All horses have manes. The Stallion is a horse;
therefore, Stallions have manes.

B. Provide the conclusion for the following arguments.

1. The first lipstick I pulled from my bag is red. The second lipstick I pulled
from my bag is red.
Therefore, _____________________________.
2. Tagpi is a stray dog. Tagpi is happy.
Therefore, _____________________________.
3. All typhoons come from the east. A typhoon is approaching.
Therefore, _____________________________.
4. Cabbages are plants, and all plants perform photosynthesis.
Therefore, _____________________________.
5. A rectangle is a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides and whose
interior angles are right. A square is a quadrilateral that has two pairs of
parallel sides and whose interior angles are right.
Therefore, _____________________________.

C. Use inductive or deductive reasoning to solve the following problems.

1. You died and you are at a fork in the road. You meet 2 guardians, one of
them always lies and one always tells the truth, of which you do not know
who is who. Of the two paths, one leads to heaven and one leads to hell.
You are allowed to both guardians one question only. What would you ask
to get them lead you to heaven?

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2. You are playing Russian roulette with a six shooter revolver. You put in
one bullet and fired at the captive but no bullet comes out. You give him
the choice to either spin the chamber again or immediately fire a second
round. What should your captive choose to increase his chances of
survival?
3. Three people are lined up behind each other, from shortest to tallest.
They are shown five hats, three blues and two red. The people are
blindfolded and were placed on their heads. The two extra hats were kept
and the blindfolds were removed. All of them were asked if they knew
what hat they were wearing, starting from the tallest. The tallest and the
middle person both answered that he knows. How did he know and what
color is the hat he is wearing?
4. What comes next in the sequence? 2, 8, 4, 10, 6, __

5. What comes next in the sequence?

(8 X 8) + 7 =88
(87 X 8) + 6 =888
(876 X 8) + 5 =8888
(87654 X 8) + 3=888888

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 Lesson 3.2
POLYA’S PROBLEM SOLVING FRAMEWORK

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to
1. Identify the stages of Polya’s problem-solving framework;
2. Use Polya’s problem solving framework to solve worded problems.

Whether we like it or not, problem solving is involved in our daily lives, whether
you are a farmer, a housewife, a teacher, a rocket scientist or any fancy profession.
Contrary to popular belief that a person simply can or can’t do problem solving, it can
actually be learned.

Polya’s Four-Stage Problem Solving

George Polya in 1947 wrote numerous mathematical papers and three books
in problem solving. In his books he stated four stages:
1. Understanding the problem
2. Making a plan
3. Carrying out the plan
4. Looking back
However, it is important to note that Polya’s stages are flexible and not to be
taken literally in linear order. To Polya, problem solving was a major theme of doing
mathematics and “teaching students to think” was of primary importance. “How to
think” is a theme that underlies much of genuine inquiry and problem solving in
mathematics.

A framework is needed that emphasizes the dynamic and cyclic nature of

genuine problem solving. A student may begin with a problem and engage in thought
and activity to understand it. The student attempts to make a plan and in the process
may discover a need to understand the problem better. When a plan has been made,
the student may not be able to carry it out thus a new plan may be needed. A plan
may have been carried out and was able to produce an answer however it may not
answer the original problem, thus a student may start again at understanding the
problem or there may have been an error in carrying out the plan.

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 The following framework is useful for illustrating the dynamic, cyclic
interpretation of Polya’s Stages.

Any of the arrows indicate the current activity of the student in the process of
solving a mathematics problem.

Understanding the Problem. Sometimes the problem lies in how a problem is

understood. If you are unclear on what to solve, then most likely you would get an
incorrect answer. In order to understand the problem, one must read the problem
carefully. A lot of students jump the gun trying to solve the problem before even
reading through the problem. After reading the problem, write down what is asked
then identify all the components and data involved (given). Assign your variables.

Making a Plan. Think of ways on how you will solve the problem. Was there a
similar problem you have solved before? Is it possible to use the solution before? Is
there a theorem you can use? Are there patterns? These are some guide questions
that may help you solve the problem. You may also start by drawing a diagram, making
a chart, use trial and error, work backwards, use a formula and be ingenious.

Carrying Out the Plan. Basically solve the problem based on your plan.

Looking Back. See if your answer really answers the “What is asked” part. It is
important to look back as you may have an impossible answer, i.e. a son who is older
than his father.

Problem Posing

Problem posing or problem formulation is another aspect of problem solving

that is seldom included in textbooks. Polya did not talk specifically about problem
posing, but the spirit and format is included in his illustration of looking back. Problem
posing is basically extending the problem with a series of “what-if” questions.

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Examples 3.2.1

Thrice the sum of a number and 5 is 4 times that number. Find the number.
Step 1: Understand the Problem
Since we are looking for a number, we
Let x = a number

Step 2: Making a Plan

In this case we are going to set up an equation. Take note that the
presence of the verb “is” means it is an equation.
Sum of a number and 5 x+5
Thrice the sum of a number and 5 3(x+5)
4 times that number 4x
Thrice the sum of a number and 5 is 4 times 3(x+5) = 4x
that number

Step 3: Carrying Out the Plan

Solve the equation using algebra.
3(x+5) = 4x Given equation
3x + 15 = 4x Distributive Property
3x + 15 – 3x = 4x – 3x Get all x terms on one side of the
equation
15 = x Combine similar terms

In this case since the coefficient of x is one, we end the solution as we

already have the answer.

Step 4: Looking Back

15 + 5 is 20 multiplied by 3 results to 60 which is the same as 4 times
15.

Examples 3.2.2

A bus and a car leave the same place and traveled in opposite directions. If the
car is traveling at 65 km/h and the bus is traveling at 55 km/h, in how many hours will
they be 240 kilometers apart?

Step 1: Understand the Problem

The problem is a distance-rate-time type, where in this case the
unknown is time. There is no mention of whether the car or the bus took off
first, thus we assume that they left at the same time. We set up a distance-
rate-time (drt) table based on the given.

Let t be the time required for both vehicles to be 240 km apart.

Rate Time Distance
Car 65 t
Bus 55 t
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 Step 2: Making a Plan
Since the vehicles are travelling opposite each other, d(car) + d(bus) =
240 km. Do take note that rate = distance/time thus distance = rate*time.
Rate Time Distance
Car 65 km/h t 65t km/h
Bus 55 km/h t 55t km/h

Step 3: Carrying Out the Plan

d(car) + d(bus) = 240 km Given Equation
65t km/h + 55t km/h = 240 km Substituting given
120t km/h= 240 km Combining similar terms
120t km / h 240km Dividing both sides of the
 equation by coefficient of t
120 km / h 120 km / h
t = 2 hours Final Answer

Step 4: Looking Back

The distance travelled by the car = 65 km/h (2 h) = 130 km while the
distance travelled by the bus = 55 km/h (2 h) = 110 km which totals to 240
km, as stated in the problem.

Examples 3.2.3

Suppose Johnny can do a paint job in 12 hours while Mikey can do the same
job in 9 hours. If they work together, how long will it take them to finish the job?

Step 1: Understand the Problem

This is a typical work problem. Work problems typically follow the format
1 1 1
  . In this case we let
a b x
1 1
 = amount of work Johnny can do in 1 hour
J 12
1 1
 = amount of work Mikey can do in 1 hour
M 9
1
= amount of work when both work together
x

Step 2: Making a Plan

Since both of them would work at the same time we are going to add
1
their individual work times then equate it to .
x
Step 3: Carrying Out the Plan
1 1 1
  Working equation
12 9 x
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 3 4 1
  Applying LCD
36 36 x
7 1
 Combining like fractions
36 x
 7  1 Eliminate the denominators by
36 x    36 x   multiplying both sides of the
 36   x
equation with the product of the
denominators
7x = 36
7 x 36 Divide both sides of the equation

7 7 by the coefficient of x
36
x hours  5.1429 hours Final Answer
7

Step 4: Looking Back

The answer makes sense as it should take a shorter time to finish the
job if both of them work at the same time than if they do it individually.

Examples 3.2.4

In a dance competition, all contestants were dancing at once. After 3 minutes,

half are eliminated. After another 5 minutes, half of the remaining were eliminated. At
the 15-minute mark, another half were eliminated. At the 20th minute, another half
were eliminated. In the last 3 minutes one was eliminated and the remaining one was
the winner. How many dancers were there at the beginning?

Step 1: Understanding the Problem

The problem requires us to identify how many dancers were there at the
beginning, with the clues as during specific times half are eliminated.

Step 2: Making a Plan

Working backwards would be a great strategy to use in this type of
problem. With working backwards, all operations are reversed, division
becomes multiplication and subtraction becomes addition.

Step 3: Carrying out the Plan

Number of Dancers Time
1 Time end
1+1 = 2 Last 3 minutes
2*2 = 4 20th minute
4*2 = 8 15th minute
8*2 = 16 8th minute
16*2 = 32 3 minutes
32 Start
Therefore, there were 32 dancers at the start of the competition.
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 Step 4: Looking Back
If we try to work forwards from 32,
Time Number of Dancers
Start 32
After 3 minutes 32/2 = 16
After another 5 minutes 16/2 = 8
15 minute mark 8/2 = 4
20th minute 4/2 = 2
Last 3 minutes 2–1=1
Time end 1

Can you solve the problem using another strategy?

Practice Exercises

1. Every person at a party with 30 participants said “hello” to each of the other
people at the party exactly once. How many “hellos” were said?
2. Suppose John has 8 shirts and 4 pairs of pants. How many different outfits can
John make by combining one shirt and one pair of pants?
3. Arranging bowling pins in a triangular pattern with 1 pin in the first row, 2 in the
second, 3 in the third, and so on.
a. How many pins would be in the fourth row? Tenth row? Nth row?
b. How many pins would it take to complete 5 rows? 10 rows? N rows?
4. Kimmy and Jane bought the same item. Kimmy bought it for 20% less than the
list price. Jane said if she paid 25% more, she would have paid the list price.
Who paid less?
5. Al and Irene both work at night shifts. Al has every sixth night off and Irene has
every fifth night off. If they both have tonight as night off, how many nights
before they are both off at the same time again?

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 Exercise 3.2
Polya’s Problem Solving Framework

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Use Polya’s problem-solving strategy to solve the following problems.

1. How many different rectangles with an area of twelve square units can be formed
using unit squares?

2. If 8 workers can finish a job in 6 hours, how many workers will it take to finish the
same job in 4 hours?

3. You add x ml of a 25% alcohol solution to a 200 ml of a 10% alcohol solution to

obtain another solution. Find the amount of alcohol in the final solution in terms of
x. Find the ratio, in terms of x, of the alcohol in the final solution to the total
amount of the solution. What do you think will happen if x is very large? Find x so
that the final solution has a percentage of 15%.

4. A 657 km, 6-hour flight was travelled at 2 speeds. For the first part of the trip, the
average speed was 100 km/h. Then tailwind picked up and the speed increased
to an average of 112 km/h. How long did the plane fly at each speed?

5. "Here lies Diophantus," the wonder behold...

Through art algebraic, the stone tells how old:
"God gave him his boyhood one-sixth of his life,
One-twelfth more as youth while whiskers grew rife;
And then yet one-seventh ere marriage begun;
In five years there came a bouncing new son.
Alas, this dear child of master and sage,
Attained only half of his father’s full age.
When chill fate took him — an event full of tears —
Heartbroken, his father lived just four more years."
How long did Diophantus live?

6. Alice, Ben and Carl collect stamps. They exchange stamps among themselves
according to the following scheme: Alice gives Ben as many stamps as Ben has
and Carl as many as Carl has. After that, Ben gives Alice and Carl as many
stamps as each of them has, and then Carl gives Alice and Ben as many stamps
as each has. If each finally has 64 stamps, with how many stamps does Alice
start?

7. Solve the following cryptarithms. In each problem, letters represent a single digit
only.
a. (HE)2 = SHE
b. WRONG + WRONG = RIGHT
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8. How many squares of all sizes are there in an 8x8 chessboard?

9. In order to encourage his son in the study of algebra, a father promised the son
P8 for every problem solved correctly and to fine him P5 for each incorrect
solution. After 26 problems neither owed anything to each other. How many
problems did the boy solve correctly?

10. Find three solids and their measurements whose surface area is 60 square units.

11. If a pup is worth a pooch and a mutt, and a pup and a pooch are worth one bird
dog, and 2 bird dogs are worth three mutts, how many pooches is a pup worth?

12. If it is now 10:45 am, what time will it be in 143,999,999,995 minutes from now?

13. Mang Ruben has only an 11 liter can and a 5 liter can. How can he measure out
exactly 7 liters of water?

14. An egg vendor broke all the eggs that he was delivering to a local store. He could
not remember how many eggs there were in all. However, he did remember that
when he tried to pack them into packages of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 he had one left over
each time. When he packed them into packages of 7, he had none left over.
What is the smallest number of eggs he could have had in the shipment?

15. Find the unit digit for the sum 1325 + 481 + 5411.

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 Lesson 3.3
PROBLEM SOLVING WITH PATTERNS

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to
1. Solve problems by identifying patterns and extending those patterns to
answer questions about different scenarios.

Patterns are things that repeat in a logical way, like vertical stripes on a
sweater. They can be numbers, images or shapes. Patterns help us make predictions
based on certain data using logical connections and reasoning skills (not on hokum
like palm readers and horoscope writers).

Mathematics is often regarded as the science of patterns. In solving a complex

problem, it is advisable to work on simpler versions of the problem and observe what
happens in a few specific cases to look for patterns that will help solve the original
problem. A lot of principles in algebra and geometry rose from generalizations of
patterns in numbers and shapes.

Examples 3.3.1

Mary and her mother are out planting seeds. For every three seeds that Mary
plants, her mom plants 8. How many seeds in total are planted by the time her mom
plants 72 seeds?

We first create a table referring to the number of seeds planted by both Mary
and her mom.
Mary 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27
Mother 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72

Based on the table we can see that by the time Mary’s mother planted 72
seeds, Mary was able to plant 27 thus we can say that 99 seeds have been planted.

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Example 3.3.2

Find the sum of the first 100 even numbers.

Using patterns to solve this problem we start with the first few even numbers.
Numbers Sum
2 2
2, 4 6
2, 4, 6 12
2, 4, 6, 8 20
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 30

We can rewrite the numbers in the sum column as a product of 2 numbers.

Numbers Sum Factors
2 2 1*2
2, 4 6 2*3
2, 4, 6 12 3*4
2, 4, 6, 8 20 4*5
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 30 5*6

We can observe that the factors can be expressed as n(n+1) where n refers to
the number of digits used. So to find the sum of the first 100 even numbers it would
simply be 100(100 + 1) = 100(101) = 10100. Can we do the same for the sum of the
first 100 odd numbers?

Example 3.3.3

Given below is a multiplication pattern. Use the given pattern to answer the
succeeding problems.
a. b. c. d.
30 50 18 14 12 108 45
60 10 6 4 7 16 2 9 2
15 5 3 11 3

Let us answer letter b. First we observe the pattern on a. We can see that the
numbers on the first row and first column are products of the numbers on the
remaining cells, i.e. the number on cell ((row)1, (column)1) is a product of cell (2,2)
and cell (3,3) and on cell (1, 2) it is a product of cell (2,2) and cell (3,2). Using the
same pattern, the 3x3 box on b would be:
12 44 21
28 4 7
33 11 3
Now you can do the rest.

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Practice Exercises

1. Follow the instructions stated and create a generalization based on the patter
given. Choose any number. Multiply that number by 6. Add 12 to the result.
Take half. Subtract by 6. Divide by 3. What would be the final number?
2. A person is working on a fitness program. His goal is to jog 30 laps in an oval
but he cannot do it immediately. He starts with 3 laps and plans an increment
of 3 laps every 3 days. How long will it take him to be able to do 30 laps in one
go?
3. What are the next 3 pentagonal numbers?

4. Given the figure below complete the table.

Number of White Circles Number of Shaded

Circle
1 4
2 6
3 8
4
5
16
18
50
50
100
100
N
N

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 Exercise 3.3
Problem Solving with Patterns

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________
A. Solve the following by investigating the patterns within.

1. Supposed a pinball is dropped from A, how many paths are there from A to E?

2. A group of businessmen were at a meeting. Supposed each of them handed a

business car to each other businessman present.

a. If there were 16 businessmen present, how many cards were given?

b. If 600 cards were exchanged, how many businessmen were present?
c. Is it possible that only 500 cards are exchanged given the scenario?

3. Each hexagon below is surrounded by 12 dots.

a. Find the number of dots if there are 6 hexagons in the first column.
b. How many hexagons in total if there are 229 dots?

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4. Ken decides that he needs to reduce his weight. He decides to run 10 minutes a
day for 5 times in a week. Each week he increases his time by 2 minutes.

a. How many minutes will he be running per day on the 8th week?
b. How many minutes will he run total on the 10th week?
c. How many minutes per day will he run on the 7th week?

5. There are 1000 lockers in a high school with 1000 students. The first student opens
all 1000 lockers; next, the second student closes lockers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and so on
up to locker 1000; the third student changes the state (opens lockers that are
closed, closes lockers that are open) of lockers 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on; the fourth
student changes the state of lockers 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on. This continues until
every student has had a turn. How many lockers will be open at the end?

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 Lesson 3.4
RECREATIONAL PROBLEMS USING MATHEMATICS

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to
1. Solve recreational problems mathematically.

Recreational problems in mathematics are entertaining and challenging

problems. The main criteria for these problems are:
1. Attention grabbing: either because of their aesthetics appeal or because
they are interestingly strange.
2. Readily explored with minimal technical content: you don’t need high end
mathematical knowledge and you may answer it using brute force.
3. A student can generate conjectures and new questions easily.
As such this genre of mathematics include mathematical games, logic puzzles
and other puzzles that require deductive reasoning. Classic examples of recreational
problems include the handshake problem, tangrams, Sudoku and the bridge crossing
problem. As these types of problems often attract non-mathematicians it may inspire
their further study of mathematics.

Examples 3.4.1

Palindromic numbers. These are symmetrical numbers or numbers when

reversed are still read the same like 16461, 121, and 1234321 and so on. The date
February 2, 2020 when written in digits form a palindrome (02/02/2020). Can you think
of other palindromic dates? And when will the next one be?

Examples 3.4.2

Magic Square. It is a square which is divided into smaller squares and contains
distinct integers. The catch however is the sum of the digits in all rows, columns and
diagonals are the same, in this case the sum is 15.
2 7 6
9 5 1
4 3 8

Examples 3.4.3

A frog is at the bottom of a 30 foot well. It tries to escape by jumping. Every

time it leaps, it can cover 3 feet but slides down by 2 feet. How many leaps will it take
to escape the well?

The frog can jump 3 feet buts slides by 2 feet, so we can say that for every
jump the distance covered is 1 foot. Since the height is 30 feet, you might say that it
takes 30 jumps but that thinking would be wrong. By the 27th jump, the frog would

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have covered 27 feet and on the 28th jump the frog would have covered 30 feet which
is the height of the well. So, it only takes 28 jumps.

Practice Exercises

1. “How many children do you have, and what are their ages?” asks the census
taker. The mother answers, “I have three children. The product of their ages is
36, and the sum of their ages is the same as my house number.” The census
taker looks at the house number, thinks for a moment, and responds, “I’m sorry,
but I need more information.” “My oldest child likes chocolate ice cream,” says
the mother. “Thank you,” replies the census taker. “I have all the information I
require.” How old are the children?
2. A farmer had a pen made of 50 hurdles, capable of holding 100 sheep only;
supposing he wanted to make it sufficiently large to hold double that number,
what would be the least amount of hurdles that he would have to add?
3. A man buys a horse for 150000Php. Sells the horse for 160000Php. Rebuys the
horse for 170000Php. Sells the horse for 180000Php. How much did he gain in
the end?
4. Three merchants saw dropped on the way a purse containing money. One said
to the others, “If I secure this purse, I shall become twice as rich as both of you
with your moneys on hand.” Then the second said, “I shall become three times
as rich.” Then the other said, “I shall become five times as rich.” What is the
value of the money in the purse, as also the money on hand with each of the
three merchants?
5. Solve the given Sudoku Puzzle

6. Solve the given Ken-ken Puzzle

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 Exercise 3.4
Recreational Problems Using Mathematics

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Solve the following problems.

1. Three men want to buy an animal together. If the first says to the second and
third, “If one takes half of what you have and adds it to what I have, I will have
the price of the animal,” and if the second says to the first and the third, “If one
takes a third of what you have and adds it to what I have, I will have the price of
the animal,” and if the third says to the first and the second, “If one takes a fourth
of what you have and adds it to what I have, I will have the price of the animal,”
how much does each have?

2. Solve the given Kenken Puzzle.

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3. Solve the given Sudoku puzzle.

6 2 5 5 4
5 8 7
3 1
5 6 8
2 8 1
7
3
4
8 3 9 6

4. Messrs. Panadero, Farmer, Minero, Bangkero, and Kusinero are seated around
in a circular table playing poker. Each gentleman is the namesake of the
profession of one of the others. The farmer is seated two places to the left of Mr.
Kusinero. The panadero is seated two places to the right of Mr. Panadero. The
minero is seated to the left of Mr. Minero. Mr. Farmer is to the right of the
Bangkero. Who is the farmer?

5. Three siblings, John, Bruce, and Eric, truthfully reported their grades to their
parents as follows:
John: If I passed math, then so did Bruce. I passed English if and only if Eric
did.
Bruce: If I passed math, then so did John. John did not pass history.
Eric: Either John passed history or I did not pass it. If Bruce did not pass English,
neither did John.
If each of the three passed at least one subject and each subject was passed
by at least one of the three, and if Eric did not pass the same number of subjects
as either of his siblings, which subject did they each pass?

6. A magician asked someone to volunteer from the audience then instructed the
audience to do the following instructions.
Pick a number and don’t tell me what it is. Add 15 to it. Multiply your answer by
3. Subtract 9. Divide by 3. Subtract 8. Now tell me your answer.
The volunteer replied 32. The magician immediately knew the number. What
was the number? How did the magician know the answer immediately?

7. Given 3 liter jug and a 5 liter jug, with no markings, is it possible to get exactly
1 liter of water when drawing out from a well? If so, how? If not, why not? What
if the jugs were 4-liter and 6 liters, is it still possible to draw out 1 liter?
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8. Identify the value of each letter in the given Cryptarithmetic problem. (X is not
a letter but the operation symbol for multiplication)
ABC
X BC
EDC
__FEB__
CDAC
9. Three missionaries were conducting three cannibals to the mission school. On
the way they had to pass a bridge. The problem is the bridge cannot be crossed
by more than two people at a time. In addition, the cannibals cannot yet be
trusted, thus the missionaries must take care that they are not outnumbered on
either side of the bridge. How should they cross the bridge?

10. The tower of Hanoi problem is considered as a classic recreational

mathematical problem. It has 3 pegs with rings on one peg. The rings are of
diminishing sizes with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top. The
objective is to transfer all rings from one peg to another under the following
circumstances.

a. Only one ring may be moved at a time; thus a move consists of taking the
upper most ring from one post and placing it on the next post.
b. At no time shall a larger ring be on top of a smaller ring.
c. What is the smallest number of moves to transfer 7 rings? What if there are
n rings?

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