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Polya How To Solve It

1. To solve a problem, first understand the problem by identifying the unknown, data, and conditions. Determine if the condition is sufficient to solve for the unknown. 2. Devise a plan to connect the data to the unknown, such as looking at related problems, theorems, or reformulating the problem. Consider auxiliary elements if a direct connection is not obvious. 3. Carry out the plan, checking each step for correctness using proofs or arguments. 4. Examine the solution by checking results, arguments, and considering alternative derivations or applications of the method or result.

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215 views4 pages

Polya How To Solve It

1. To solve a problem, first understand the problem by identifying the unknown, data, and conditions. Determine if the condition is sufficient to solve for the unknown. 2. Devise a plan to connect the data to the unknown, such as looking at related problems, theorems, or reformulating the problem. Consider auxiliary elements if a direct connection is not obvious. 3. Carry out the plan, checking each step for correctness using proofs or arguments. 4. Examine the solution by checking results, arguments, and considering alternative derivations or applications of the method or result.

Uploaded by

Merlin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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a new aspect of

mathematical method

With a new foreword


by John H. Conway

G. POLYA
HOW TO SOLVE IT
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition?
First.
Is it possible to satisfy the condition? Is the condition sufficient to
You have to understand determine the unknown? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or
the problem. contradictory?
Draw a figure. Introduce suitable notation.
Separate the various parts of the condition. Can you write them down?

DEVISING A PLAN

Second. Have you seen it before? Or have you seen the same problem in a
slightly different form?
Find the connection between Do you know a related problem? Do you know a theorem that could
the data and the unknown. be useful?
You may be obliged
Look at the unknown! And try to think of a familiar problem having
to consider auxiliary problems
the same or a similar unknown.
if an immediate connection
cannot be found. Here is a problem related to yours and solved before. Could you use it?
You should obtain eventually Could you use its result? Could you use its method? Should you intro-
a plan of the solution. duce some auxiliary element in order to make its use possible?
Could you restate the problem? Could you restate it still differently?
Go back to definitions.
If you cannot solve the proposed problem try to solve first some related
problem. Could you imagine a more accessible related problem? A
more general problem? A more special problem? An analogous problem?
Could you solve a part of the problem? Keep only a part of the condi-
tion. drop the other part; how far is the unknown then determined.
how can it vary? Could you derive something useful from the data?
Could you think of other data appropriate to determine the unknown?
Could you change the unknown or the data. or both if necessary, so
that the new unknown and the new data are nearer to each other?
Did you use all the data? Did you use the whole condition? Have you
taken into account all essential notions involved in the problem?

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN


Third. Carrying out your plan of the solution, check each step. Can you see
Carry out your plan. clearly that the step is correct? Can you prove that it is correct?

LOOKING BACK

Fourth. Can you check the Tesuit7 Can you check the argument?
Can you derive the result differently? Can you see it at a glance?
Examine the solution obtained.
Can you use the result, or the method, for some other problem?

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