GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

PROBLEM SET

 Solve each problem Polya’s and any other strategies. Label your work so that each of Polya’s four
steps is identified.

1. A rancher decides to enclose a rectangular region by using an existing fence along one side of the region
and 2240 feet of new fence on the other three sides. The rancher wants the length of the rectangular
region to be five times as long as its width. What will be the dimensions of the rectangular region?
1 Goal: Find the dimensions of the rectangular region.
Given: The total measurement of the other three sides of the region should be 2240 ft. and the
length should be 5 times longer than the width.
2 With the given, I decided to use this formula:

2240ft= L x W

4 Answer:
The dimension of the enclose rectangular region is 105.83ft by 21.166 ft.
Let’s check:
A=lxw
2240=105.83x21.166
2240=2239.99
2240=2240

2. If 15 people greet each other at a meeting by shaking hands with one another, how many handshakes will
take place?

1 Goal: Find how many handshakes would take place at the meeting.
Given: There are 15 people who greet each other at the meeting by shaking hands.

2 To compute this problem, I will use the combination formula:

nCr = n! / ((n – r)! r!

3 Solution:
nCr = n! / ((n – r)! r!
15C2 = 15! / ((15-2)!2!
15C2 = 105 handshakes
GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

4 Answer: 105 handshakes

Let’s check:
Because there are 15 person at the meeting, every person there will shake hands with 14 persons
because 15 minus theirselves, and there will be no repetition so it will be divided by two.
15 x 14 = 210
210 / 2 = 105

3. Nonie, Louise, Eduard, and Mark are attending Southern Luzon State University (SLSU). One student is a
computer science major, one is chemistry major, one is a business major, and one is biology major. From
the following clues, determine which major each student is pursuing.
a. Nonie and the computer science major are next door neighbors.
b. Louise and the chemistry major have attended SLSU for 2 years, Eduard has attended SLSU for 3
years, and the biology major has attended SLSU for 4 years.
c. Mark has attended SLSU for fewer years than Nonie.
d. The business major has attended SLSU for 2 years.

1 Goal: Determine the major pursuing by Nonie, Louise, Edward, and Mark.
Given: Their majors are computer science, chemistry, business, and biology.
Other given:
a. Nonie and the computer science major are next door neighbors.
b. Louise and the chemistry major have attended SLSU for 2 years, Eduard has
attended SLSU for 3 years, and the biology major has attended SLSU for 4 years.
c. Mark has attended SLSU for fewer years than Nonie.
d. The business major has attended SLSU for 2 years.
2 Majors
Computer science Chemistry Business Biology
Students
Nonie
Louise
Edward
Mark
To answer this logic, I will be using this table:

3 Majors
Computer science Chemistry Business Biology
Students
Nonie x x x /
Louise x x / x
Edward / x x x
Mark x / x x

4 So,
a) Nonie is the biology major.
b) Louise is the business major.
c) Edward is the computer science major.
d) Mark is the chemistry major.

 Determine whether the argument is an example of inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning.

4. Samantha got an A on each of her first four math tests, so she will get an A on the next math test.
This argument used an Inductive reasoning, because the conclusion at the end is only based
from the observation of what happened on the previous exams.
5. All amoeba multiply by dividing. I have named the amoeba shown in my microscope Amelia. Therefore,
Amelia multiplies by dividing.
GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

This argument is an example of deductive reasoning, because the conclusion is based from
the premise that signifies truth.

 Find a counterexample to show that the following conjecture is false.

6. For all numbers x , ( x +4 )2=x 2+ 16

Answer: x=2

3
n +5 n+6
7. For all counting numbers n , is an even counting number.
6
Answer: n=4

 Predict the next term of each sequence.

8. 5, 6, 3, −4, −15, −30 , −49, _____

Answer: -72

9. 2, 0, −18 , −64 , −150, −288 , −490, _____

Answer: -768

10. A sequence has an n th term formula of a n=4 n2−n−2.

Use this formula to determine the first ten terms of the sequence and the 20 th term of the sequence.
Solution:
a20=4(20)2-20-2
a20=4(200)-20-2
a20=800-20-2
a20=778
Answer:
The 20th term of the sequence is 778.

 Solve the following problems.

11. A diagonal of a polygon is a line segment that connects nonadjacent vertices (corners) of the polygon. In
the following polygons, the diagonals are shown by the red line segments.

Triangle Square Pentagon

3 sides 4 sides 5 sides
0 diagonal 2 diagonals 5 diagonals

Predict the number of diagonals in a) a hexagon, b) a heptagon, and c) an octagon.

GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

12. In how many different ways can a basketball team win exactly four out of their last six games?
1 Goal: Determine how any different ways a basketball team can have four wins in their last six
games.
Given: The basketball has six games left and they need to win four games.
2 In this problem, I’ll be using again the combination formula:
nCr = n! / ((n – r)! r!
3 Solution:
nCr = n! / ((n – r)! r!
6C4 = 6! / ((6-4)!4!
6C4 = 15 different ways the basketball team can have four wins in 6 games
n=6, because it is the total games
r=4, because it is the total needed win games

4 Let’s check:
6 games multiply by 5 ( 6 games – 1 because they won’t be playing with their selves)
6x5=30
30 divide by 2 because there will be no repetition of the game
30 / 2= 15
15 different ways a team can have four wins.

13. A student has noticed the following pattern:

1
9 =9has 1 digit
GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

2
9 =81 has 2 digits
3
9 =729 has 3 digits
.
.
.
10
9 =3,486,784,401 has 10 digits.
a. Find the smallest natural number n such that the number of digits in the decimal expansion of 9 n
is not equal to n .
b. A professor indicates that you can receive five extra points if you write all of the digits in the
9
decimal expansion of 9 9 .Is this a worthwhile project? Explain.

14. Sudoku is a deductive reasoning, number placement puzzle. The object in a 6 by 6 mini-Sudoku puzzle is
to fill all empty squares so that the counting numbers 1 to 6 appear exactly once in each row, each
column, and each of the 2 by 3 regions, which are delineated by the thick line segments. Solve the
following 6 by 6 mini-Sudoku puzzle.

6 2 3 4 5 1
5 1 4 3 2 6

3 6 2 5 1 4
4 5 1 6 3 2

1 3 6 2 4 5
2 4 5 1 6 3

15. A palindromic number is a whole number that remains unchanged when its digits are written in reverse
order. Find all palindromic numbers that have exactly
a. three digits and are the square of a natural number.
b. four digits and are the cube of a natural number.
GEC 05: Mathematics in the Modern World 1st Semester 2020-21

1 Goal: Determine the palindromic number that is a perfect square of natural number and perfect
cube of natural number.
Given: The numbers should be palindromic with 3 digits and 4 digits.
2 In order for me to answer this problem, I used Guess and Test Strategy.

3 a)First, I list 3 digits palindromic numbers and tried if they are perfect square:
101 (not a perfect square)
111 (not a perfect square)
121 ( a perfect square of 11, which is a natural number)
b) Second, I list the 4 digits palindromic number and tried if they are perfect cube:
1001 (not)
1221 (not)
1331 (its cube root is 11)

4 Answer:
a) 121
b) 1331