Problem Solving

(Polya’s Problem Solving Technique)

Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

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 Steps of Polya’s Problem Solving Technique
(George Polya)

1. Understand the problem

2. Devise a plan

3. Carry out the plan

4. Review the Solution

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 1. Understand the Problem
You must have a clear understanding of the problem.

Can you state the problem in your own words?

What is being asked or the goal?
What are the given information or data?
Is there information that, if known, would allow
you to solve the problem?
Is there extraneous information that is not needed
to solve the problem?

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 2. Devise a Plan
Successful problem solvers use a variety of
techniques when they attempt to solve a problem.

Make a list of the known information.

Draw a diagram.
Make a table or chart.
Try to solve a similar but simpler problem. Look for
pattern.

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 Cont.
✓ Guess at a solution and then check your
result.
✓ Perform an experiment.
✓ Write an equation. If necessary, define
what each variable represents.
✓ Work backwards.
✓ Use an indirect reasoning.
✓ Make an organized list that shows all the
possibilities.

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 3. Carry out the plan
Implement the strategy or strategies.
Work carefully, give yourself time, get ideas
from others.
Keep an accurate and neat record of all your
attempts.
Realize that some of your initial plans will not work and
that you may have to devise another plan or modify
your existing plan.
Do not be afraid of starting over.

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 4. Review the solution
Ensure that the solution is consistent with the
facts of the problem.

Interpret the solution in the context of the

problem.

Can you solve other related or more general

problem?

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 Example

Since 76 = 6(12) + 4, the 76th number in the

expansion is the same as the 4th in 714285, which
is 2.
Checking/counting the digits in the decimal expansion.

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 Example
2. Determine the units digit of 4300
➢ Units digit is the digit which denotes the 'number
of ones' in that number. It is the rightmost digit in
a number, preceding any decimal point.
Determine the units digit of 4300 = 4 × 4 × 4 × · · · × 4
Look for pattern in the expansion. 41 = 4; 42 = 16; 43 = 64;
44 = 256
observe from the expansion that the units digit is either 4 or
6. Furthermore, it can be observed that if the exponent
is odd, the units digit is 4 and if it is even, the units
digit is 6. Since 300 is even, 4300 has 6 as its units digit.
Checking: The units digit varies from 464646 . . .

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 Example
3. Blaise has a number of 5 centavos and 10
centavos amounting to P3.05. There are 19
more 5 - centavo coins than 10 - centavo coins.
How many pieces of each coin are there?
Given: Total money = 3.05 ; and the number of 5-cents is
more than the 10-cents by 19.
Problem: For the number of 5-cents and 10-cents, Solve by
trial and error

33 − 14 = 19; and 14(0.10) + 33(0.05) = 3.05

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 Example
4. Each one - Ana, Enya, Alvin, and Johnny have
different favorite color among red, blue, green
and orange, No person’s name contains the
same number of letters as his/her favorite color.
Alvin and the boy who likes blue live in different
parts of town. Red is the favorite color of one of
the girls. What is each person’s favorite color?
Answer:
Boys: Johny → blue, Alvin → green or orange; Alvin → orange
Girls: Ann or Enya → red; Enya → red and Ann → green

Ann → green, Enya → red, Alvin → orange & Johnny → blue

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 Example
5. Coleen celebrated her Birthday party in a private
home’s poolside garden.
ExampleIt was attended by 30
persons. If each person shook hands with each
other exactly once, then how many handshakes
took place?
Think of it this way: Student 1 individually goes around to the other 29
students and gives them all a handshake. Then, Student 2 does the
same, except he’s already shaken the hand of Student 1, so he doesn’t
shake his hand, leaving this time 28 handshakes. This process repeats
until all students have shaken the hands of all other students.
Answer:
29 + 28 + 27 + 26 + 25 + 24 + … + 3 + 2 + 1
435

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 Example
6. The first few lines of the Christmas song 12 Days of
Christmas says: On the first day of Christmas my true
love sent to me, a partridge in a pear tree. On the second
day of Christmas by true love sent to me, two turtle
doves and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of
Christmas my true love sent to me, three French hens,
two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree, and so
on. In all, how many gifts were sent by the True Love to
his Lover from the first day to the twelfth day of
Christmas?
Answer:
364

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 Example
How it happened: Gifts received each day:
Let us look at what
happens on day n. On
day 7 for example the
singer receives 28 gifts
which is the 7th
triangular number.

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 Example
How it happened:

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 Example
7. The number of ducks and pigs in a field totals 35.
The total number of legs among them is 98.
Assuming each duck has exactly two legs and
each pig has exactly four legs, determine how
many ducks and how many pigs are in the field.
Solution:
Given there are a total of 35 ducks and pigs in the field
Let, number of ducks = x and number of ducks = y
x + y = 35 1
Also given, there are 98 legs in total among them
2 * x for the ducks and 4 * y for the pigs
2x + 4y = 98 2

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 Example
7. The number of ducks and pigs in a field totals 35.
The total number of legs among them is 98.
Assuming each duck has exactly two legs and
each pig has exactly four legs, determine how
many ducks and how many pigs are in the field.
Solution:
Solve by elimination using eq. 1 and 2
2x + 4y = 98 2x + 4y = 98
x + y = 35 2x + 2y = 70
x + y = 35 2y = 28
x + 14 = 35 2 2
x = 21 y = 14
There 21 ducks and 14 pigs in the field.

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 Example
8. In the World Math Competition in UK, the contestants
were given ten items to be solved in four hours. Five
points were given for each correct answer and two points
were deducted for each wrong answer. Albert did all
questions and scored 29, how many correct answers did
he have?
Solution:
Let x = number of correct answers, then 10 - x = number of
incorrect answers
5x - 2(10 - x) = 29
5x - 20 + 2x = 29
Albert answered 7 items 7x = 49
7 7
correctly.
x=7

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 Example
9. I am thinking of a two - digit number. It is odd. Its tens
Example
digit is even. It is prime. The sum of its digits is 11. The
product of its digits is 24. What number am I thinking of?
Solution:
1. To get the answer, factor 24: 24 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24

2. Choose 2 factors and combine to get an odd no: 8, 3

✓ Combine/join the two numbers (odd): 83
✓ Its tens digit is even: 83
✓ It is prime: 83
✓ The sum if its digits is 11: 8 + 3 = 11

The number I am thinking is 83.

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 Example
10. There are 82 people collecting signatures to protest the
destruction of the rain forests. If there are 47 males and
28 teenagers, 13 of whom are girls, then how many
females are collecting signatures.
Solution:
Let x = number of adult females, then x + 13 = number of
females (both adult and teenagers)
x + 13 + 47 = 82
x = 22
The number of females (both adult and teenagers)
x + 13
22 + 13 = 35
The number of females both adult and teenagers is 35.

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 Example
11. 100 students were interviewed. 28 took PE, 31 took BIO, 42 took
ENG, 9 took PE and BIO, 10 took PE and ENG, 6 took BIO and ENG,
4 took all three subjects.
➢ How many students took none of the three subjects?
➢ How many students took PE but not BIO or ENG?
➢ How many students took BIO and PE but not ENG?
Solution:
➢ How many students took none of the
PE three subjects? 20 students
13
5 6 ➢ How many students took PE but not BIO
4 ENG
or ENG? 13 students
BIO
20 2 30
➢ How many students took BIO and PE but
20
not ENG? 5 students

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