MATH 138

PROB. SOLVING, MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION, & MODELING

FIRST SEMESTER; SY: 2023-2024

Submitted by:
GROUP 4

Emmarie Iyen D. Malinao

Honjielyn S. Gumapac

Lyza Mae S. Lanos

Jericho C. Libres

Nicole E. Gelles

Submitted to:

Dr. Donnell Cereno

Instructor
Activity 2: Polya’s Problem Solving Approach Application

Exercise 1: Solve the following problem using Polya’s Four-Step Method. Explain
your solution as a step-by-step process, listing each of the four steps in the
appropriate place and describing briefly how you applied each step to the problem.
Answer using complete sentences.

How many fenceposts are needed to support a 100-meter-long fence, if a

fencepost must be used every 2 meters?

Understand the Problem:

• We are trying to find how many fencepost are needed to support a 100-
meters long fence.
• If a fencepost is using every 2 meters, how many fencepost are needed to
support a 100 meters long fence?
Devise a Plan:

• 100 meters long fence divided by 2 meters for every fencepost.

10m 20m 30m 40m 50m 60m 70m 80m

90m 100m

2m

Carry out the plan:

• Given:
100 meters long fence (100mp)
Fencepost must be every 2 meters (2m)

Where:
m – meter
p – fencepost
• Solve:
100mp
= 2m
= 50p
 Hence, the number of fencepost that are needed to support a 100 meters long fence is 50.

Look back and check:

• For us there is another way to solve this problem since for some reason this
problem is can be solved through thorough analysis.
• I can see that my solution is right and I can use this same way of answering
for another problem if and only if it is applicable.
Exercise 2: Solve the following problem using Polya’s Four-Step Method. Explain
your solution as a step-by-step process, listing each of the four steps in the
appropriate place and describing briefly how you applied each step to the problem.
Answer using complete sentences.

A zookeeper is moving penguins and polar bears into their new exhibit.
He counts 20 heads and 58 feet. How many penguins and how many polar
bears are in the exhibits?

Understand the Problem:

• We are trying to find how many penguins and polar bears are in the exhibit.
Devise a Plan:

• Create a table to easily visualize the given problem where in a zookeeper is

moving penguins and polar bears into their new exhibit and he counts 20
heads and 58 feet.

Penguins Polar Bears Total

Head 20
Feet 58

Carry out the plan:

Penguins Polar Bears Total

Head 11 9 20
Feet 22 36 58

Therefore, there are 11 penguins and 9 polar bears in the exhibits.

 Look back and check:

• There might be another way to solve this problem but for us this is the easiest
way of solving it.
• This kind of process in solving kind of process in solving is can be use for
another problem if and only if it is applicable.

Activity 3 Math Investigation on Pythagorean Triads

Names: Jericho C. Libres; Emmarie Iyen D. Malinao; Honjielyn S. Gumapac; Lyza

Mae S. Lanos; and Nicole E. Gelles

Find the answer: Can you find another Pythagorean Triad? Use the steps discussed
above to complete the investigation of the following:

The Pythagorean Theorem states that 𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 = 𝑐 2

Where a = shortest side; c = hypotenuse

b = adjacent side

A Pythagorean triad as defined is a set of three counting numbers that

conforms with the Pythagorean theorem.

For example: a = 3, b = 4, c = 5

𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 = 𝑐 2

32 + 42 = 52

9 + 16 = 25

25 = 25

Find another Pythagorean triad.

3 Digit Number Investigation

Write down a three-digit number. e.g. 543

Reverse the digits and subtract smaller from larger .- 3 4 5

198

Reverse the digits of the results and add. +8 9 1

 1089

Investigate.

Exploration

• A Pythagorean triad as defined is a set of three counting numbers that conforms with the
Pythagorean theorem where a = 3, b = 4, and c = 5. We are asked to find another Pythagorean
triad.

Gather and record data

543 792 921 482

-345 -2 9 7 -1 2 9 -2 8 4

198 495 792 198

+8 9 1 +5 9 4 +2 9 7 +8 9 1

1089 1089 1089 1089

Look for pattern

• We noticed that if you reverse the three-digit number and subtract it from your original three-
digit number and reverse the digit of results and add, it always answered 1089.

Make conjectures

Base on the data collected and the patterns seen above:

• The final result is always 1089.

• After the subtraction step, the middle digit is always 9 and the result is divisible by 9.

Gather more data to test conjectures

471 7 53 766 877

- 174 -35 7 -667 -778

297 396 99 99

+7 9 2 +6 9 3 +99 +99
 1089 1089 189 189

Revise conjecture

• Base from the data above, if two integers are the same, difference will be 99 and the sum is
198.

Verify Conjecture

21 1 554 683 8 13

- 112 -455 -386 -318

99 99 297 495

+9 9 +9 9 +7 9 2 +5 9 4

189 189 1089 1089

Organize data

Numbers that have resulted in a difference of 99 a sum of 198 are

766, 877, 211, 554

Look carefully at these numbers and see if there is anything about them which is the same.

Look at the digits. Make a conjecture.

The first and third digits differ by 1.

Organize the data by grouping numbers with the same difference between the first and the third digits.

Digits differ by 2 543, 482 Difference 198, sum 1089

Digits differ by 3 471, 683 Difference 297, sum 1089
Digits differ by 4 753 Difference 396, sum 1089
Digits differ by 5 792, 813 Difference 495, sum 1089
Digits differ by 6
Digits differ by 7
Digits differ by 8 921 Difference 792, sum 1089
Digits differ by 9

Revise conjectures (generalizations)

The difference between the digits appears to be central to the result. Examination of the results,
particularly the results of the subtraction, leads to the following conjectures:
• The final result is 1089 unless the first and last digits differ by 1 in which case it is 99.
• After the subtraction, the middle digit is always 9 and the other two digits are given by
multiplying the difference of the first and the third digits, as listed in the table above, by 9.
For instance, 753 the difference between 7 and 3 is 4. If we multiply 4 x 9 we get 36. Thus,
after the subtraction the result is 396.

Verify

The important conjecture to verify at this stage is the second one and this is done by choosing
numbers that have a digit difference of 6,7 or 9 as there were none of these in the data gathered.

842: 8-2 = 6 6x9 = 54 After subtraction: 594

821: 8-1 = 7 7x9 = 63 After subtraction: 693

920: 9-0 = 9 9x9 = 81 After subtraction: 891

Check

842 821 920

- 248 -1 2 8 -0 2 9

954 693 891

Conjecture verifies.

Extend the problem

Consider 2-digit numbers

73 91 87 52

-37 -19 -78 -25

36 72 09 27

+63 +27 +90 +72

99 99 99 99
 Conjectures

• The results of the subtraction are the product of the difference of the digits and 9
• The sum is always 99

Activity 4 Mathematical Investigation

(Writing Task)
Instructions: Answer the following questions as a group. Write in font size 12 and
font style “Arial or Times new Roman”. You can use A4, short or long paper size.
Print and submit in hard copy, leave in the DOSCST guard house receiving area for
Donnell Cerreno (your instructor). Do not forget to cite your references and write a
reference list at the end of your written assignment.

1. What comprises a mathematical investigation? Discuss

➢ Mathematical investigation is broken down into steps and has
illustrated different methods of investigating and problem solving in a
visual way which will add meaning for many students. The ability to
pose questions, collect data, investigate and discover answers, solve
problems, describe, share and elaborate on findings, evaluate and
reflect on, and judge the accuracy of answers, draw conclusions, revise
and test models of investigating and reject or defend ideas are skills
that should be stressed in the modern mathematics classroom. These
processes need to take place in small groups and in the classroom as
a whole (Quinnel, 2010).
2. Is problem solving in math related to mathematical investigation?
Discuss
➢ According to (Yeo & Yeap, 2009), they are related. Distinguishing
between open investigative task, investigation as a process involving
specialization, conjecturing, justification and generalization, and
investigation as an activity involving open investigative task. With such
a characterization, the relationship between problem solving and
mathematical investigation becomes apparent; the process of problem
solving involves investigation as a process and solving by “other
means” while an open investigative activity includes both problem
posing and problem solving as a process. Therefore, mathematical
investigation, as a process, can occur in both open investigative and
problem solving tasks.
3. Is problem posing a component of investigation? Discuss
➢ Yes, it is a component of investigation because problem posing occurs
even before the students start to think of a solution because they need
to pose their own problems to solve. It is describe that problem posing
refers to both the generation of new problems and the re-formulation of
the given problems, posing can occur before, during or after the
solution of the problem (Yeo, 2012).
4. Write about an experience you had on mathematical investigation in
high school or during your early years in college. Include in your
discussion the constraints and enabling factors and the valuable
insights you gained.
➢ There is an activity that involves exploration of open-minded
mathematical situation. We, the student is free to choose what aspects
of the situation he or she would like to do and how to do it. We pose
our own problems to solve and extend it to the directions we want to
pursue. In this activity, we experience difficulties like finding the
equation line through the origin and given point, investigate equations
that interest each other, lines that tangent to the equation. How
mathematicians work and how to conduct a mathematical research.
These are the few reasons why we love math investigation:
1. Students develop questions, approaches, and results that
are original products
2. Students use the same general methods used by research
mathematician. They work through cycles of data gathering,
visualization, abstraction, conjecturing and proof.
3. It gives student the opportunity to communicate
mathematically: describe their thinking, writing definitions
and conjectures, using symbols, justifying their conclusions
and writing and reading mathematics.
4. When the research involves a class or group, it becomes a
community of mathematicians sharing of thoughts and ideas
and building each others question, conjectures and
theorems.
Bibliography
Quinnel, L. (2010). Mathematical Investigation. Helen Prochazka's Scrapbook .

Yeo, J. B. (2012). Problem Posing in Mathematical Investigation. Mathematics Education Reearch

group of Austrilia .

Yeo, J. B., & Yeap, B. H. (2009). Mathematical investigation: Task, Process, and Activity. Research
Gate .