SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

NAVARRO, GENERAL TRIAS CITY, CAVITE

Chapter 3:
Problem Solving and
Reasoning

Presented by:

GIM B. SADOL, LPT

[email protected]
Objectives
After the students have gone through Chapter 3, they
should be able to:
1. Use different types of reasoning to justify statements and
arguments
2. Write clear and logical proofs
3. Solve problems involving pattern and recreational
problems following Polya’s four steps; and
4. Organize one’s method and approaches for proving and
solving problems

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Two fundamental types of reasoning

o Inductive reasoning refers to the process of making

generalized decisions after observing, and/or
witnessing, repeated specific instances of something

o Deductive reasoning refers to the process of taking

the information gathered from general observations
and making specific decisions based on that information

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Deductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
All numbers ending in 0 or 5 are divisible by 5.

2nd premise:
The number 35 ends with a 5

Conclusion:
Therefore, 35 is divisible by 5.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Deductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
All squares are rectangles

2nd premise:
All rectangles have four sides

Conclusion:
Therefore, all squares have four sides.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Deductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
Cacti are plants

2nd premise:
All plants perform photosynthesis

Conclusion:
Therefore, cacti perform photosynthesis

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Deductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
All men are mortal

2nd premise:
Algebra teachers are men

Conclusion:
Therefore, Algebra teachers are mortal.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Inductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
Some students of Cavite State University are taking up BS Applied
Mathematics

2nd premise:
Students of this University are scholars

Conclusion:
Therefore, students taking up BS Applied Mathematics in this
University are scholars.
SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.
Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Inductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
John is an excellent swimmer

2nd premise:
John's family has a swimming pool

Conclusion:
John’s family must also be an excellent swimmer

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Inductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
Elijah is good looking

2nd premise:
Elijah is well-behaved

Conclusion:
Therefore, all good looking are well-behaved.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Inductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
The coin pulled from a bag is a penny

2nd premise:
A second coin from the bag is a penny

Conclusion:
Therefore, all the coins in the bag are pennies.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Inductive reasoning (Cont.)
1st premise:
Children in the day care center are playful

2nd premise:
Children in the day care center like to play with Legos

Conclusion:
Therefore, playful children like to play Legos

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the coerusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 1

A quadrilaterals has four sides.

A square has four sides.
Therefore, a square is a quadrilateral.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 2

If A=B and B = C, then A = C.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 3

My Geometry teacher this semester is skinny.

My Geometry teacher last semester was skinny.
Therefore, Geometry teachers are skinny.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 4

All even numbers are divisible by 2.

18 is an even number.
Therefore, 28 is divisible by 2.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 5

Angles A, B and C are angles inside a triangle.

The sum of the angles of any triangle equals 1800.
Therefore, the sum of angles A, B and C equals 1800.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 6

Acute angles are less than 900 and angle Ø is 420, so this
angle Ø is acute.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 7

All numbers ending in 0 or 5 are divisible by 5.

80 ends with 0 and 45 ends in 5.
Therefore, 80 and 45 are divisible by 5.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 8

Sets A and B are equal.

Equal sets are equivalent.
Therefore, Sets A and B are equivalent.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 9

Mass and weight are directly proportional.

Mass is directly proportional to force.
Therefore, weight is directly proportional to force.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Reasoning
Quiz 3: Write DR if the conclusion is reached thru deductive
reasoning; and write IR if the conclusion is reached thru
inductive reasoning:

Statement 10

The symbols x and * indicate multiplication operation.

The symbols / and ÷ indicate division operation.
Therefore, x, *, /and ÷ are operation symbols.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Intuition, Proof and Certainty
Definition
Intuition is the ability to
understand something
instinctively, without the need for
conscious reasoning.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Intuition, Proof and Certainty
Definition
A mathematical proof is an
argument which convinces
other people that something
is true. Proof is an inferential
argument for a mathematical
statement

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Intuition, Proof and Certainty
Definition
Certainty is a conclusion or
outcome that is beyond doubt

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Polya’s Four Steps to Problem Solving

George Polya (1887 – 1985)

✓ Father of Modern Problem

Solving
✓ did extensive studies and
wrote papers and books
about problem solving

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Polya’s Four Steps to Problem Solving

1. Preparation
2. Thinking Time
3. Insight
4. Verification

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving Strategies
1. Guess (This includes guess-and-check and guess-
and-improve.)
2. Act It Out (Act it out and use equipment.)
3. Draw (This includes drawing pictures and diagrams.)
4. List/Tabulate (This includes making a table)

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving Strategies
1. Guess
✓ Low level effort
✓ not be very efficient or reliable
✓ Guess-and-improve

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving Strategies
2. Act It Out
✓ effective strategy for demonstration purposes

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving Strategies
3. Draw
✓ venn diagram, sketches, maps and other
representations help solve mathematical
problems

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving Strategies
4. List/Tabulate
✓ Used in solving logic problems
✓ Increasing to decreasing, most frequent to less
frequent, excellent to unsatisfactory

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Problems involving patterns
an important problem-solving strategy because
many problems are similar and fall into
predictable patterns
A pattern is a regular, systematic repetition and
may be numerical, visual, or sequential

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Mathematical Problems involving patterns

Given the diagram, find the number of lines

using the number of dots as a pattern

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
involves problems, riddles, puzzles, brain-teasers
and games carried out for recreation or leisure
rather than as a research or application-based
professional activity.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Recreational Problems Using Mathematics

Joseph, Kevin, and Nicholas are 3 brothers.

If the following statements are all true,
who is the youngest?

✓ Joseph is not the youngest.

✓ Kevin is the oldest.
✓ Nicholas is not the oldest.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 1. The figure on the diagram
is made up of 5 rectangles. We must
paint them in 5 colors. Each two
neighboring rectangles must NOT be
painted in the same color. In how many
ways can we paint the rectangles if it is
not necessary to use all available colors?

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 2. A few different natural numbers have been
written on a white board. Exactly two of them are divisible by
3 and exactly 11 of them are divisible by 11. If M is the
greatest of the numbers that have been written down, find
the smallest possible value of M.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 3. How many triangles do you see?

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 4. What is the smallest prime which divides the
number equal to 320 + 1118

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 5. Find the prime number P, for which (P+64) is a
perfect square of a natural number.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 6. Let Q be a rational number smaller than
10, and I an irrational number greater than 10. If the
product of (Q X I) is a rational number, calculate the
number of possible values of the quotient of (Q/1)?

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 7. When Charly was 6 years old, Nikka was
half her age. Now that Charly is 100 years old, how old
Nikka?

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Scan the QR Code to
access MMW Finals SW 1
Problem Solving
Problem 8. Anna, Bob, and Chris are good friends who like to play
guessing games using cards. For this game Chris selects a card from a
small handful of cards. There are 13 cards in total. He tells the suit of
the card to Anna and the number to Bob. Both Anna and Bob know
that the cards include:
- Spade J, 8, 4, 2; Heart A, Q, 4; Diamond A, 5; Club K, Q, 5, 4
Anna and Bob are good at reasoning. They have the following
conversation:
- Bob: “I don’t know the card.”
- Anna: “I already knew you couldn’t know this card.”
- Bob: “Now I know the card.”
- Anna: “And now, I know too.”
SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.
Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem Solving
Problem 9. Beaver wants to buy a pair of shoes. All the shoes
have a different size and width. Beaver will have to try on shoes
until he finds a pair which is the right size and width.
Whenever he tries on a shoe, he can feel both 1) if it is
too wide, the right width, or too narrow and 2) if it is too big, the
right size, or too small. The shoes in the store are arranged in
increasing order of size as well as width as shown below:
Beaver uses a method that guarantees that he will know
which shoe size fits him in ‘n’ tries, even if he hasn’t tried
the shoe that fits yet.

SAMUEL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL TRIAS, INC.

Navarro, General Trias City, Cavite
Gim B. Sadol, LPT Source: Mathematics in the Modern World by Cordial R. et al.
Problem 9. Beaver wants to buy a pair of
shoes. All the shoes have a different size and
width. Beaver will have to try on shoes until he
finds a pair which is the right size and width.
Whenever he tries on a shoe, he can feel both
1) if it is too wide, the right width, or too
narrow and 2) if it is too big, the right size, or
too small. The shoes in the store are arranged
in increasing order of size as well as width as
shown below:
Beaver uses a method that guarantees that he
will know
which shoe size fits him in ‘n’ tries, even if he
hasn’t tried the shoe that fits yet. Question.
What is the smallest possible value of ‘n’?
Problem 9. A jungle community, living on six islands, wants to connect
these islands by building a network of canopy bridges.
A plan of all possible bridges was created. The numbers show the cost
to build each bridge, for each possible connection. The bridges do not
intersect with each other.
The community wants to link all the islands so that it is possible to
travel from any island to any other island. Travel between islands can
either be done directly, or by going indirectly through one or more
islands.
At the same time, the community wants to build the bridges as cheaply
as possible.
Question. What is the cheapest whole number that can be spent to link
up all six islands?