REASONING AND

PROBLEM SOLVING

Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and the one who knocks , the door will be opened.”
Inductive and Deductive
Reasoning
Lesson 1
Understanding Reasoning
 Reasoning refers to the action of
constructing thoughts into a valid or logical
argument
 People who can reason and think analytically
tend to
 note patterns, structure, or regularities in both
real-world situations and symbolic objects;
 ask if those patterns are accidental or if they
occur for a reason; and/or
 make a conjecture and prove it
Understanding Reasoning
 Reasoning consists of drawing conclusions from
previously established PREMISES.
 Here are some examples of reasoning where the premises and the
conclusions are indicated.
Inductive Reasoning
 The type of reasoning that forms a conclusion
based on the examination of specific examples
or observations is called inductive reasoning.

SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES or CONCLUSION
OBSERVATIONS

 The conclusion formed by using inductive

reasoning is often called a conjecture.
Inductive Reasoning
 Referred to as “Cause and effect reasoning” or
“Bottom-up reasoning”
 Characterized by the following:
a. Usually based on observation. The premises of
an inductive argument are evidence-based on
observations.
b. The conclusions are tentative generalizations
about groups or relationships or predictions.
Conclusions drawn may not be necessarily true
to all since it is only based on observations on a
specific event or thing.
Examples
 I picked three balls from a bag and they are all
color red. Therefore, all the balls in the bag are
red.
 As I enter a subdivision, the first few houses have
dogs. Thus, all the houses in the subdivision have
dogs.
 Mike believes that all older sisters wear make-up.
His belief is based on his observation that his
sister wears make-up, the older sister of his friend
wears make-up and another older sister of his
classmate wears make-up.
Examples
 Here is a sequence of numbers: 3, 6, 9, 12, ____
What is the 5th number?
 We can easily conclude that the next number is 15.

 You are asked to find the 6th and 7th term in

the sequence:
1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ______ , _____
 The first two numbers differ by 2.The 2nd and 3rd numbers differ by
3.The next difference is 4, then 5. So, the next difference will be 6
and thus the 6th term is 15 + 6 = 𝟐𝟏 while the 7th is 21 +
7 = 𝟐𝟖.
Take Note!
 Inductivereasoning is not used just to
predict the next number in a list.

 Weuse inductive reasoning to make a

conjecture about an arithmetic
procedure.
 Exercise: Use Inductive Reasoning to make
a Conjecture
A. Consider the following procedure:
1.Pick a number.
2.Multiply the number by 8,
3.Add 6 to the product
4.Divide the sum by 2, and
5.Subtract 3.
 Complete the above procedure for several different
numbers. Use inductive reasoning to make a conjecture
about the relationship between the size of the resulting
number and the size of the original number.
 Exercise: Use Inductive Reasoning to make
a Conjecture
B. Consider the following procedure:
1.Pick a number.
2.Multiply the number by 9,
3.Add 15 to the product,
4.Divide the sum by 3, and
5.Subtract 5.
 Complete the above procedure for several different
numbers. Use inductive reasoning to make a conjecture
about the relationship between the size of the resulting
number and the size of the original number.
 Exercise: Use Inductive Reasoning to make
a Conjecture
C. Consider the following procedure:
1. List 1 as the first odd number
2. Add the next odd number to 1.
3. Add the next odd number to the sum.
4. Repeat adding the next odd number to the previous
sum.

 Construct a table to summarize the result. Use inductive

reasoning to make a conjecture about the sum obtained.
 Exercise: Use Inductive Reasoning to make
a Conjecture
D. Observe the two sets of polygons below:

 What is the name of a polygon that can be used to

describe the polygons in column 2?
 Use inductive reasoning to make a conjecture about the
polygons in column 2.
 Exercise: Use Inductive Reasoning to make
a Conjecture
Scientists often use inductive reasoning. For instance, Galileo
Galilei (1564– 1642) used inductive reasoning to discover that
the time required for a pendulum to complete one swing, called
the period of the pendulum, depends on the length of the
pendulum. Galileo did not have a clock, so he measured the
periods of pendulums in “heartbeats.” The following table shows
some results obtained for pendulums of various lengths. For the
sake of convenience, a length of 10 inches has been designated as
1 unit.
Use the data in the table and inductive
reasoning to answer each of the following
questions.
a.If a pendulum has a length of 49 units,
what is its period?
b.If the length of a pendulum is
quadrupled, what happens to its period?
 Take Note!
Conclusions based on
inductive reasoning may be
incorrect.
 As an illustration, consider the
circles shown. For each circle,
all possible line segments have
been drawn to connect each
dot on the circle with all the
other dots on the circle. For
each circle, count the number
of regions formed by the line
segments that connect the
dots on the circle.
Counterexamples

A statement is a true statement provided

that it is true in all cases. If you can find
ONE CASE for which a statement is NOT
TRUE, called a counterexample, then
the statement is a false statement
Exercise 1
 Verify
that each of the following
statements is a false statement by finding
a counterexample.

 For all numbers x:

a. ) 𝑥 > 0
b. ) 𝑥 2 > 𝑥
c. ) |𝑥 − 1| < |𝑥|
Exercise 2
 Verify that each of the following statements is a
false statement by finding a counterexample.

 For all numbers x:

𝑥 𝑥+3
𝑎. ) = 1 𝑏. ) =𝑥+1 𝑐. ) 𝑥 2 + 16 = 𝑥 + 4
𝑥 3
Deductive Reasoning
 Another type of reasoning is called
deductive reasoning.

 Deductive reasoning is distinguished from

inductive reasoning in that it is the
process of reaching a conclusion by
applying general principles and
procedures or some general ideas, called
PREMISES.
Deductive Reasoning
 Referred to as “top-down reasoning” or
moving from general to specific
 Mathematics is essentially deductive
reasoning.
 Deductive reasoning makes use of undefined
terms, formally defined terms, laws, axioms,
theorems, and rules of inference.
 Recognized laws, rules, theories and other
widely accepted truths are used to prove that
a conclusion is right.
Examples
Example 1:
 If a number is divisible by 2, then it must be even.
12 is divisible by 2.
Therefore, 12 is an even number.

Example 2:
 All men are mortal.
Bernard is a man.
Therefore, Bernard is mortal.
Example 3:
 If a student is a DOST scholar, he receives a monthly
allowance.
If a student receives a monthly allowance, his parents will
be happy.
Therefore, if a student is a DOST scholar, his parents will
be happy.

Example 4:
 If ∠𝐴 and ∠𝐵 are supplementary angles, then
𝑚∠𝐴 + 𝑚∠𝐵 = 180º.
∠𝐴 and ∠𝐵 are supplementary angles. If 𝑚∠𝐴 = 100º,
then 𝑚∠𝐵 = 80º.
Logic Puzzles
Logic Puzzles can be solved by deductive reasoning and a chart that
enables us to display the given information in a visual manner.

Example 1:
 Each of four neighbors, Sean, Maria, Sarah, and Brian, has a
different occupation (editor, banker, chef, or dentist).
 From the following clues, determine the occupation of each
neighbor.
1. Maria gets home from work after the banker but before the
dentist.
2. Sarah, who is the last to get home from work, is not the
editor.
3. The dentist and Sarah leave for work at the same time.
4. The banker lives next door to Brian.
Exercise
 Brianna, Ryan,Tyler, and Ashley were recently
elected as the new class officers (president, vice
president, secretary, treasurer) of the sophomore
class at Summit College.
 From the following clues, determine which position
 each holds:
1. Ashley is younger than the president but older than the
treasurer.
2. Brianna and the secretary are both the same age, and
they are the youngest members of the group.
3. Tyler and the secretary are next-door neighbors.
Video

Can you solve _Einstein’s Riddle__ - Dan Van

der Vieren.mp4
Problem Solving Strategies and the
Polya’s Four-Step Approach in
Problem Solving
Lesson 2
What is a Problem?
Generally, it is a situation you want to change!

A problem is a situation that conforms the

learner, that requires resolution, and for
which the path of the answer is not
immediately known. There is an obstacle
that prevents one from setting a clear path
to the answer.
What is Problem Solving?

 Problem solving has been defined as

higher-order cognitive process that
requires the modulation and control of
more routine or fundamental skills"
(Goldstein & Levin, 1987).
Problem-Solving Strategies
 Ancient mathematicians who were
interested in problem-solving are Euclid,
Rene Descartes, and Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibnitz.
 One of the foremost recent
mathematicians to make a study of
problem solving was George Polya
(1887– 1985). He was born in Hungary
and moved to the United States in 1940.
Polya’s Steps in Problem Solving
Understand
the Problem

Devise a
Plan

Carry out
the Plan

Look Back
 Understand
Devise a Carry out
the Look Back
Plan the Plan
Problem

 Do you understand all the words used in

stating the problem?
 What are you asked to find or show?
 Can you restate the problem in your own
words?
 Can you think of a picture or diagram that
might help you understand the problem?
 Is there enough information to enable you to
find a solution?
 Understand
Devise a Carry out
the Look Back
Plan the Plan
Problem

 Find the connection between the data and the

unknown.You may be obliged to consider
auxiliary problems if an immediate connection
cannot be found.You should obtain eventually a
plan of the solution.
 Polya mentions that there are many reasonable
ways to solve problems. The skill at choosing
an appropriate strategy is best learned by
solving many problems.You will find choosing a
strategy increasingly easy.
 Understand
Devise a Carry out
the Look Back
Plan the Plan
Problem

A partial list of strategies is included:

 Make a list of the known  Try to solve a similar but
information. simpler problem.
 Make a list of information  Look for a pattern.
that is needed.  Write an equation. If
 Draw a diagram. necessary, define what
 Make an organized list each variable represents.
that shows all the  Perform an experiment.
possibilities.  Guess at a solution and
 Make a table or a chart. then check your result.
 Work backwards.
 Understand
Devise a Carry out
the Look Back
Plan the Plan
Problem

 Work carefully.
 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.
 Understand
Devise a Carry out
the Look Back
Plan the Plan
Problem

Once you have found a solution, check the

solution.
 Ensure that the solution is consistent with the
facts of the problem.
 Interpret the solution in the context of the
problem.
 Ask yourself whether there are generalizations
of the solution that could apply to other
problems.
Examples
1. Mr. Romar has a total of 25 chickens and cows on
his farm. How much of each does he have if
altogether there are 62 feet?
2. The sum of three consecutive integers is 261. Find
the integers.
3. Franky’s age is less than 60 years old. When the
digits of his age are added, the sum is 9. His age is a
multiple of 6. If his age lies between two prime
numbers, how old is he?
4. Find the sum of 1+2+3+4+…+198+199+200.
Example 1: Mr. Romar has a total of 25 chickens
and cows on his farm. How much of each does he
have if altogether there are 62 feet?
Example 1: Mr. Romar has a total of 25 chickens
and cows on his farm. How much of each does he
have if altogether there are 62 feet?
Example 1: Mr. Romar has a total of 25 chickens
and cows on his farm. How much of each does he
have if altogether there are 62 feet?
Example 2: The sum of three consecutive integers is
261. Find the integers.
Example 2: The sum of three consecutive integers is
261. Find the integers.
 Problem Set
1. A baseball team won two out of their last four games. In how
many different orders could they have two wins and two
losses in four games?
2. The product of the ages, in years, of three teenagers is 4590.
None of the teens are the same age. What are the ages of the
teenagers?
3. The length of the rectangular swimming pool in Jake’s yard is
2ft more than twice its width. Find the dimensions of the pool
if the perimeter is 124 ft.
4. Find the sum of the first 100 natural numbers.
5. Jenny and her brother Larry left their home at the same time
for their separate vacations. Jenny drove east at an average
rate of 75 km/h and Larry drove west at an average rate of
60 km/h. In how many hours will they be 810 km apart?
Recreational Problems Using
Mathematics
Lesson 3
Recreational Mathematics
 Recreational mathematics is mathematics
carried out for ENTERTAINMENT rather than
as strict research and application-based
professional activity.
 It involves games or puzzles that relate to
mathematics, although the term can cover
other material.
 It is the interconnection of different fields of
math, arts, puzzles, magic and music.
Example 1
 Rubik’s Cube- invented by Erno Rubik from
Hungary in 1974, patented in 1975, and was
put into market in 1977
The cube consists of 3x3x3 smaller cubes which,
in the initial configuration, are colored so that the
6 faces of the large cube are colored in 6 distinct
colors.
The 9 cubes forming one face can
be rotated through 45° .There are
43,252,003,274,489,856,000
different arrangements of small
cubes, and only one of these
arrangements is the initial position.
 Rubik’s Cube Variations

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p.goo.gl/hcFGinR
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 Example 2
 Sudoku- a logic-based, number placement
puzzle

The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid with digits in such a way that each column, each row and each of
the 3x3 grids that makes up the larger 9x9 grid contains all the digits from 1 to 9, with no
repetition. Every Sudoku puzzle begins with some cells filled in. The played uses these numbers as a
starting point toward finding the unique solution.
Example 3
 Magic Squares- a magic square of order 𝑛 is
an arrangement of numbers in a square such
that the sum of the 𝑛 numbers in each row,
column, and diagonal is the same number.
Example 4
 KenKen Puzzles- is an arithmetic-based logic
puzzle that was invented by the Japanese
mathematics teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto in
2004. The noun “ken” has “knowledge” and
“awareness” as synonyms. Hence, KenKen
translates as knowledge squared, or awareness
squared. KenKen puzzles are similar to Sudoku
puzzles, but they also require you to perform
arithmetic to solve the puzzle.
KenKen Puzzle

SOLUTION:
Example 5: Other Puzzles:

1. Logic Puzzles
-A logical puzzle is a problem that can be solved
through deductive reasoning.
-Example: Einstein’s Riddle
2. Arithmetic Puzzles
-These contain a series of numbers, operations, and
blanks in order, and the object of the puzzle is to fill
in the blanks to obtain the desired result.

-Example:
Example 5: Other Puzzles:

1. Logic Puzzles
-A logical puzzle is a problem that can be solved
through deductive reasoning.
-Example: Einstein’s Riddle
2. Arithmetic Puzzles
-These contain a series of numbers, operations, and
blanks in order, and the object of the puzzle is to fill
in the blanks to obtain the desired result.

-Example:
Example 5: Other Puzzles:

3. River Crossing Puzzle

-Four people come to a river in the night. There is a
narrow bridge, but it can only hold two people at a
time. They have one torch and, because it’s night, the
torch has to be used when crossing the bridge.
Person A can cross the bridge in one minute, B in two
minutes, C in five minutes and D in eight minutes.
When two people cross the bridge together, they
must move at the slower person’s pace. The question
is, can they all get across the bridge in 15 minutes or
less? If it is possible, how will they do it?