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Lesson 4: Reasoning and Problem Solving H
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. A
S
— Albert Einstein A
A
N
Introduction
N
One of the main goals of mathematics education is to develop critical thinking skills of G
learners enabling them to be problem solvers and effective decision-makers. In this lesson, you
will learn the two types of reasoning commonly employed in mathematics as well as problem L
U
solving strategies and heuristics that can help you in your journey in the ever-increasing
N
mathematical modern world that we live in. S
O
Text: Mathematics in the Modern World, Aufmann, et. al., Chapter 3
D
Reference: Mathematics in the Modern World , Calingasan et. al., Chapter 1
N
Lesson Learning Outcomes G

By the end of this unit you should be able to: S

❖ Employ correct reasoning skills in appropriate situations A
N
❖ Apply Polya’s problem solving strategies in solving problems.
P
❖ Solve everyday problems logically and systematically A
B
Reasoning L
O
Reason is the capacity of consciously making sense of things, applying logic, and
adapting or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information. It
is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science,
language, mathematics, and art, and is normally considered to be a distinguishing ability
possessed by humans. Reason is sometimes referred to as rationality. In mathematics, there are
generally two types of reasoning which are inductive and deductive reasoning.

Inductive Reasoning
The type of reasoning that forms a conclusion based on the examination of specific
examples is called inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is the process of reaching a general
conclusion by examining specific examples. The conclusion formed by using inductive
reasoning is called a conjecture, since it may or may not be correct. It can only become a
theorem once a proof of the conjecture is established. A proof is a demonstration, or argument,
that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that a given assertion is a logical consequence of our
axioms and definitions.
We may use inductive reasoning in our everyday life subconsciously. In unit 1, we were
able to solve number patterns. When you examined the list of numbers and predicted the next
number in the list according to some pattern you have observed, you are using inductive reasoning.

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It is not just used just to predict the next number in a list. We can also use inductive reasoning to B
make a conjecture about an arithmetic procedure. H
A
Example 1 S
A
Consider the following procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the
A
product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3. N
Complete the above procedure for several different numbers. Use inductive reasoning to
N
make a conjecture about the relationship between the size of the resulting number and the size of G
the original number.
L
Solution
U
Suppose we pick 5 as our original number. Then the procedure would produce the following N
results: S
O
Original number: 5 D

Multiply by 8: 5 × 8 = 40 N
Add 6: 40 + 6 = 46 G

Divide by 2: 46 ÷ 2 = 23 S
A
Subtract 3: 23 – 3 = 20 N
We started with 5 and followed the procedure to produce 20. Starting with 6 as our
P
original number produces a final result of 24. Starting with 10 produces a final result of 40.
A
Starting with 100 produces a final result of 400. In each of these cases the resulting number is B
four times the original number. We conjecture that following the given procedure produces a L
number that is four times the original number. O

Drill 1
Consider the following procedure: Multiply the number by 9, add 15 to the product, divide the
sum by 3, and 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.

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.

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Length of Period of pendulum B
pendulum in units in heartbeats H
A
1 1 S
A
4 2 A
N
9 3
N
16 4 G
25 5
L
36 6 The period of a pendulum is the time takes for U
N
the pendulum to swing from left to right and
S
back to its original position. O
Example 2 D
Use the data in the above table and inductive reasoning to answer each of the following
N
questions. G
a. If a pendulum has a length of 49 units, what is its period?
S
b. If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled, what happens to its period? A
N
Solution
a. In the table, each pendulum has a period that is the square root of its length. Thus, we P
A
conjecture that a pendulum with a length of 49 units will have a period of 7 heartbeats.
B
b. In the table, a pendulum with a length of 4 units has a period that is twice that of a pendulum L
O
with a length of 1 unit. A pendulum with a length of 16 units has a period that is twice that of a
pendulum with a length of 4 units. It appears that quadrupling the length of a pendulum doubles
its period.
Drill 2 Velocity of tsunami Height of
in feet per second tsunami in feet
A tsunami is a sea wave produced by an underwater
earthquake. The height of a tsunami as it approaches 6 4
land depends on the velocity of the tsunami. Use the
9 9
table at the left and inductive reasoning to answer
each of the following questions, 12 16
a. What happens to the height of a tsunami when its 15 25
velocity is doubled?
18 36
b. What should be the height of a tsunami if its
velocity is 30 feet per second? 21 49

24 64

Conclusions based on inductive reasoning may be incorrect. As an illustration, consider

the circles shown below. 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.

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For each circle, count the number of regions formed by the line segments that connect the
dots on the circle. Your results should agree with the results in the following table. P
A
B
L
O

There appears to be a pattern. Each additional dot

seems to double the number of regions. Guess the
maximum number of regions you expect for a circle with
six dots. Check your guess by counting the maximum
number of regions formed by the line segments that
connect six dots on a large circle. Your drawing will
show that for six dots, the maximum number of regions
is 31 (see the figure at the left), not 32 as you may have
guessed. With seven dots the maximum number of
regions is 57. This is a good example to keep in mind.
Just because a pattern holds true for a few cases, it does
not mean the pattern will continue. When you use
inductive reasoning, you have no guarantee that your
conclusion is correct.

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Counterexamples B
H
A statement is a true statement if and only if it is true in all cases. If you can find one case A
for which a statement is not true, called a counterexample, then the statement is a false S
statement. In Example 3 we verify that each statement is a false statement by finding a A
counterexample for each. A
N
Example 3
N
Verify that each of the following statements is a false statement by finding a counterexample. G
For all x:
L
a. |𝑥| > 0 b. 𝑥 2 > 𝑥 c. √𝑥 2 = 𝑥 U
N
Solution
S
A statement may have many counterexamples, but we need to find only one counterexample to O
verify that the statement is false. D

a. If we let x = 0, then |0| = 0. Because 0 is not greater than 0, we have found a counterexample. N
G
Thus “for all x, |𝑥| > 0” is a false statement.
b. For x = 1, we have 12 = 1. Since 1 is not greater than 1, we have found a counterexample. S
A
Thus “for all x, 𝑥 2 > 𝑥” is a false statement. N

c. Consider x = -3, then √(−3)2 = √9 = 3. Since 3 is not equal to -3, we have found a P
counterexample. Thus “for all x, √𝑥 2 = 𝑥” is a false statement. A
B
Drill 3 L
O
Verify that each of the following statements is a false statement by finding a counterexample for
each. For all x:
𝑥 𝑥+3
a. 𝑥 = 1 b. 3
=𝑥+1 c. √𝑥 2 + 16 = 𝑥 + 4

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 assumptions, procedures, or principles.
Example 4
Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure produces a number that is
four times the original number.
Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the product, divide the sum
by 2, and subtract 3.
Solution
• Let n represent the original number.

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• Multiply the number by 8: 8n B
H
• Add 6 to the product: 8n + 6 A
8𝑛+6 S
• Divide the sum by 2: = 4𝑛 + 3 A
2
A
• Subtract 3: 4n + 3 – 3 = 4n N
We started with n and ended with 4n. The procedure given in this example produces a number
N
that is four times the original number.
G
Drill 4
L
Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure produces a number that is three times U
the original number. N
Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 6, add 10 to the product, divide the sum by 2, S
O
and subtract 5. Hint: Let n represent the original number.
D

N
In the next example we analyze arguments to determine whether they use inductive or
G
deductive reasoning.
S
Example 5
A
Determine whether each of the following arguments is an example of inductive reasoning or N
deductive reasoning.
P
a. During the past 10 years, a tree has produced plums every other year. Last year the tree did not A
produce plums, so this year the tree will produce plums. B
L
b. All home improvements cost more than the estimate. The contractor estimated my home O
improvement will cost $35,000. Thus, my home improvement will cost more than $35,000.
Solution
a. This argument reaches a conclusion based on specific examples, so it is an example of
inductive reasoning.
b. Because the conclusion is a specific case of a general assumption, this argument is an example
of deductive reasoning.
Drill 5
Determine whether each of the following arguments is an example of inductive reasoning or
deductive reasoning.
a. All Janet Evanovich novels are worth reading. The novel To the Nines is a Janet Evanovich
novel. Thus, To the Nines is worth reading.

b. I know I will win a jackpot on this slot machine in the next 10 tries, because it has not paid out
any money during the last 45 tries.

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Polya’s Problem-Solving Strategy B
H
Ancient mathematicians such as Euclid and Pappus were interested in solving A
mathematical problems, but they were also interested in heuristics, the study of the methods and S
rules of discovery and invention. In the seventeenth century, the mathematician and philosopher A
René Descartes (1596–1650) contributed to the field of heuristics. He tried to develop a universal A
N
problem-solving method. Although he did not achieve this goal, he did publish some of his ideas
in Rules for the Direction of the Mind and his better-known work Discourse de la Methode. N
Another mathematician and philosopher, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (1646–1716), G
planned to write a book on heuristics titled Art of Invention. Of the problem-solving process,
L
Leibnitz wrote, “Nothing is more important than to see the sources of invention which are, in my U
opinion, more interesting than the inventions themselves.” N
S
One of the foremost recent mathematicians to make a study of problem solving was
O
George Polya (1887–1985). He was born in Hungary and moved to the United States in 1940. The D
basic problem-solving strategy that Polya advocated consisted of the following four steps.
N
Polya’s Four-Step Problem-Solving Strategy G

1. Understand 2. Devise a 3. Carry out 4. Review the S

the problem. plan. the plan. solution. A
N
Polya’s four steps are deceptively simple. To become a good problem solver, it helps to
P
examine each of these steps and determine what is involved. A
Understand the Problem: This part of Polya’s four-step strategy is often overlooked. You must B
L
have a clear understanding of the problem. To help you focus on understanding the problem,
O
consider the following questions.
■ Can you restate the problem in your own ■ Is there missing information that, if
words? known, would allow you to solve the
problem?
■ Can you determine what is known about
these types of problems? ■ Is there extraneous information that is not
needed to solve the problem?
■ What is the goal?
Devise a Plan: Successful problem solvers use a variety of techniques when they attempt to solve
a problem. Here are some frequently-used procedures.
■ Make a list of the known information. ■ Look for a pattern.
■ Make a list of information that is needed. ■ Write an equation. If necessary, define
what each variable represents.
■ Draw a diagram.
■ Perform an experiment.
■ Make an organized list that shows all the
possibilities. ■ Guess at a solution and then check your
result.
■ Make a table or a chart.
■ Work backwards. ■ Use indirect reasoning.

■ Try to solve a similar but simpler problem.

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Carry Out the Plan: Once you have devised a plan, you must carry it out. B
H
■ Work carefully. ■ Realize that some of your initial plans will
A
not work and that you may have to devise
■ Keep an accurate and neat record of all S
another plan or modify your existing plan.
your attempts. A
A
Review the Solution: Once you have found a solution, check the solution. N
■ Ensure that the solution is consistent with ■ Ask yourself whether there are
the facts of the problem. N
generalizations of the solution that could
G
■ Interpret the solution in the context of the apply to other problems.
problem. L
In Example 6 we apply Polya’s four-step problem-solving strategy to solve a problem U
involving the number of routes between two points. N
S
Example 6 (Solve a Similar but Simpler Problem) O
Consider the map shown in Figure 1.2. Allison wishes to walk along the streets from point A to D
point B. How many direct routes can Allison take?
N
G

S
A
N

P
A
B
L
O

Solution
Understand the Problem We would not be able to answer the question if Allison retraced her
path or travelled away from point B. Thus, we assume that on a direct route, she always travels
along a street in a direction that gets her closer to point B.
Devise a Plan The map above has many extraneous details. Thus, we make a diagram that allows
us to concentrate on the essential information. See the
simplified diagram at the left.
Because there are many
routes, we consider the similar
but simpler diagrams shown on
the right. The number at each
street intersection represents the
number of routes from point A
to that particular intersection.
Look for patterns. It appears that the number of routes to an intersection is the sum of the
number of routes to the adjacent intersection to its left and the number of routes to the

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intersection directly above. For instance, the number of routes to B
the intersection labelled 6 is the sum of the number of routes to H
the intersection to its left, which is three, and the number of routes A
to the intersection directly above, which is also three. S
A
Carry Out the Plan Using the pattern discovered on the previous A
page, we see from the figure at the right that the number of routes N
from point A to point B is 20 + 15 = 35.
Review the Solution Ask yourself whether a result of 35 seems N
reasonable. If you were required to draw each route, could you G
devise a scheme that would enable you to draw each route without
missing a route or duplicating a route? L
U
Drill 6 N
S
Consider the street map in Example 6. Allison wishes to walk directly from point A to point B.
O
How many different routes can she take if she wants to go past Starbucks on Third Avenue?
D

N
The example below illustrates the technique of using an organized list. G
Example 7 (Make an Organized List)
S
A baseball team won two out of their last four games. In how many different orders could they A
have two wins and two losses in four games? N
Solution
P
Understand the Problem There are many different orders. The team may have won two A
straight games and lost the last two (WWLL). Or maybe they lost the first two games and won B
the last two (LLWW). Of course, there are other possibilities, such as WLWL. L
Devise a Plan We will make an organized list of all the possible orders. An organized list is a O
list that is produced using a system that ensures that each of the different orders will be listed
once and only once.
Carry Out the Plan Each entry in our list must contain two W’s and two L’s. We will use a
strategy that makes sure each order is considered, with no duplications. One such strategy is to
always write a W unless doing so will produce too many W’s or a duplicate of one of the
previous orders. If it is not possible to write a W, then and only then do we write an L. This
strategy produces the six different orders shown below.
1. WWLL (Start with two wins) 4. LWWL (Start with one loss)
2. WLWL (Start with one win) 5. LWLW
3. WLLW 6. LLWW (Start with two losses)
Review the Solution We have made an organized list. The list has no duplicates and the list
considers all possibilities, so we are confident that there are six different orders in which a
baseball team can win exactly two out of four games.
Drill 7
A true-or-false quiz contains five questions. In how many ways can a student answer the
questions if the student answers two of the questions with “false” and the other three with “true”?

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In Example 8 we make use of a table to solve a problem. B
H
Example 8 (Make a Table and Look for a Pattern)
A
Determine the digit 100 places to the right of the decimal point in the decimal representation of S
7 A
.
27 A
Solution N
7
Understand the Problem Express the fraction 27 as a decimal and look for a pattern that will N
enable us to determine the digit 100 places to the right of the decimal point. G

Devise a Plan Dividing 27 into 7 by long division or by using a calculator produces the decimal L
0.259259259…. Since the decimal representation repeats the digits 259 over and over forever, we U
know that the digit located 100 places to the right of the decimal point is either a 2, a 5, or a 9. A N
table may help us to see a pattern and enable us to determine which one of these digits is in the S
100th place. Since the decimal digits repeat every three digits, we use a table with three columns. O
7 D
The first 15 decimal digits of 27
N
G

S
A
N

P
A
B
L
O
Carry Out the Plan Only in column 3 is each of the decimal digit locations evenly divisible by
3. From this pattern we can tell that the 99th decimal digit (because 99 is evenly divisible by 3)
must be a 9. Since a 2 always follows a 9 in the pattern, the 100th decimal digit must be a 2.
Review the Solution The above table illustrates additional patterns. For instance, if each of the
location numbers in column 1 is divided by 3, a remainder of 1 is produced. If each of the
location numbers in column 2 is divided by 3, a remainder of 2 is produced. Thus, we can find the
decimal digit in any location by dividing the location number by 3 and examining the remainder.
7
For instance, to find the digit in the 3200th decimal place of 27, merely divide 3200 by 3 and
examine the remainder, which is 2. Thus, the digit 3200 places to the right of the decimal point is
a 5.
Drill 8
Determine the ones digit of 4200.

Example 9 illustrates the method of working backwards. In problems in which you know a
final result, this method may require the least effort.
Example 9 (Work Backwards)
In consecutive turns of a Monopoly game, Stacy first paid $800 for a hotel. She then lost
half her money when she landed on Boardwalk. Next, she collected $200 for passing GO. She

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then lost half her remaining money when she landed on Illinois Avenue. Stacy now has $2500. B
How much did she have just before she purchased the hotel? H
A
Solution S
Understand the Problem We need to determine the number of dollars that Stacy had just prior to A
her $800 hotel purchase. A
N
Devise a Plan We could guess and check, but we might need to make several guesses before we
found the correct solution. An algebraic method might work, but setting up the necessary equation N
could be a challenge. Since we know the end result, let’s try the method of working backwards. G
Carry Out the Plan Stacy must have had $5000 just before she landed on Illinois Avenue; $4800
just before she passed GO; and $9600 prior to landing on Boardwalk. This means she had L
$10,400 just before she purchased the hotel. U
N
Review the Solution To check our solution we start with $10,400 and proceed through each of S
the transactions. $10,400 less $800 is $9600.Half of $9600 is $4800. $4800 increased by $200 is O
$5000. Half of $5000 is $2500. D
Drill 9
N
Melody picks a number. She doubles the number, squares the result, divides the square by 3, G
subtracts 30 from the quotient, and gets 18. What are the possible numbers that Melody could have
picked? What operation does Melody perform that prevents us from knowing with 100% certainty S
which number she picked? A
N

Some problems can be solved by making guesses and checking. Your first few guesses P
may not produce a solution, but quite often they will provide additional information that will lead A
to a solution. B
L
Example 10 O
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?
Solution
Understand the Problem We need to determine three distinct whole numbers, from the list 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, that have a product of 4590.
Devise a Plan If we represent the ages by x, y, and z, then We are unable to solve this equation,
but we notice that 4590 ends in a zero. Hence, 4590 has a factor of 2 and a factor of 5, which
means that at least one of the numbers we seek must be an even number and at least one number
must have 5 as a factor. The only number in our list that has 5 as a factor is 15. Thus 15 is one of
the numbers and at least one of the other numbers must be an even number. At this point we try to
solve by guessing and checking.
Carry Out the Plan
15 ⦁ 16 ⦁ 18 = 4320 • No. This product is too small.
15 ⦁ 16 ⦁ 19 = 4560 • No. This product is too small.
15 ⦁ 17 ⦁ 18 = 4590 • Yes. This is the correct product.
The ages of the teenagers are 15, 17, and 18.

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Review the Solution Because 15 ⦁ 17 ⦁ 18 = 4590 and each of the ages represents the age of a B
teenager, we know our solution is correct. None of the numbers 13, 14, 16, and 19 is a factor H
(divisor) of 4590, so there are no other solutions. A
S
Drill 10 A
Nothing is known about the personal life of the ancient Greek mathematician Diophantus except A
1 1 N
for the information in the following epigram. “Diophantus passed 6 of his life in childhood, 12 in
1
youth, and 7 more as a bachelor. Five years after his marriage was born a son who died four years N
1 G
before his father, at 2 his father’s (final) age.”
L
U
N
S
O
D

N
G

S
A
N

P
A
How old was Diophantus when he died? (Hint: Although an equation can be used to solve this B
problem, the method of guessing and checking will probably require less effort. Also assume that L
his age, when he died, is a natural number.) O

Some problems are deceptive. After reading one of these problems, you may think that the
solution is obvious or impossible. These deceptive problems generally require that you carefully
read the problem several times and that you check your solution to make sure it satisfies all the
conditions of the problem.
Example 11
A hat and a jacket together cost $100. The jacket costs $90 more than the hat. What are the cost of
the hat and the cost of the jacket?
Solution
Understand the Problem After reading the problem for the first time, you may think that the
jacket costs $90 and the hat costs $10. The sum of these costs is $100, but the cost of the jacket is
only $80 more than the cost of the hat. We need to find two-dollar amounts that differ by $90 and
whose sum is $100.
Devise a Plan Write an equation using h for the cost of the hat and h + 90 for the cost of the
jacket.
h + h + 90 = 100
Carry Out the Plan Solve the above equation for h.

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2h + 90 = 100 • Collect like terms. B
H
2h = 10 • Solve for h.
A
h=5 S
A
The cost of the hat is $5 and the cost of the jacket is $90 + $5 = $95.
A
Review the Solution The sum of the costs is and the cost of the jacket is $90 more than the cost of N
the hat. This check confirms that the hat costs $5 and the jacket costs $95.
N
Drill 11 G
Two Philippine coins have a total value of 35¢. One of the coins is not a 25-centavo coin. What are
the two coins? L
U
N
1. Why do mathematicians need a proof for them to accept and believe any proposition? S
O
D

N
G
2. In which situations in your life do you use inductive or deductive reasoning?
S
A
N

3. How many counterexamples do you are needed to disprove any conjecture? Why? P
A
B
L
O

4. How can Polya’s problem solving strategies help you in your everyday activities?

5. Which strategies in problem solving are you commonly using? Which strategies do you think
are the ones you need to develop?

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Lesson Exercises B
H
A. Use inductive reasoning to decide whether the conclusion for each argument is always A
true, sometimes true or never true. S
A
1. The sum of any two even numbers is an even number. A
N
2. The sum of any two odd numbers is an odd number.
3. If the sum of the digits of a number is even then, it is divisible by 3. N
G
4. The product of an odd integer and an even integer is always an even number.
L
5. The square of any integer is negative.
U
6. The cube of any integer is positive. N
S
7. The cube of an odd integer is always an odd number. O
8. Pick any counting number. Multiply the number by 6. Add 8 to the product. Divide the sum by D

2. Subtract 4 from the quotient. The resulting number is twice the original number. N
B. Determine whether the argument is an example of inductive reasoning or deductive G
reasoning.
S
1. Every English setter likes to hunt. Duke is an English setter, so Duke likes to hunt. A
N
2. Andrea enjoyed reading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, so I know she will like his
next novel. P
A
3. All pentagons have exactly five sides. Figure A is a pentagon. Therefore, Figure A has exactly B
five sides. L
O
4. Cats don’t eat tomatoes. Scat is a cat. Therefore, Scat does not eat tomatoes.
5. A number is a “neat” number if the sum of the cubes of its digits equals the number. Therefore,
153 is a “neat” number.
6. The Atlanta Braves have won five games in a row. Therefore, the Atlanta Braves will win their
next game.
7. Since
11 × (1)(101) = 1111
11 × (2)(101) = 2222
11 × (3)(101) = 3333
11 × (4)(101) = 4444
11 × (5)(101) = 5555
we know that the product of 11 and a multiple of 101 is a number in which every digit is the
same.
8. The following equations show that n2 – n + 11 is a prime number for all counting numbers n =
1, 2, 3, 4, …

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L
U
(1)2 – 1 + 11 = 11 n=1 B
H
(2)2 – 2 + 11 = 13 n=2 A
(3)2 – 3 + 11 = 17 n=3 S
A
(4)2 – 4 + 11 = 23 n=4 A
N
Note: A prime number is a counting number greater than 1 that has no counting number factors
other than itself and 1. The first 15 prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, N
41, 43, and 47. G

C. Find a counterexample to show that the statement is false. L

1 U
1. 𝑥 > N
𝑥
S
2. 𝑥 + 𝑥 > 𝑥
O
3. 𝑥 3 ≥ 𝑥 D

4. |𝑥 + 𝑦| = |𝑥| + |𝑦| N
G
5. If the sum of two natural numbers is even, then the product of the two natural numbers is even.
6. If the product of two natural numbers is even, then both of the numbers are even numbers. S
A
7. Pick any three-digit counting number. Reverse the digits of the original number. The N
difference of these two numbers has a tens digit of 9.
P
8. If a counting number with two or more digits remains the same with its digits reversed, then A
the counting number is a multiple of 11. B
L
D. Solve the following problems using Polya’s problem solving strategies. O
1. There are 364 first-grade students in San Jose Elementary School. If there are 26 more girls
than boys, how many girls are there?
2. In a basketball league consisting of 10 teams, each team plays each of the other teams exactly
three times. How many league games will be played?
3. How many squares are in the following figure?

4. A frog is at the bottom of a 17-foot well. Each time the frog leaps it moves up 3 feet. If the
frog has not reached the top of the well, then the frog slides back 1 foot before it is ready to
make another leap. How many leaps will the frog need to escape the well?

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5. Carla and Allison are sisters. They are on their way from school to home. Carla runs half the B
time and walks half the time. Allison runs half the distance and walks half the distance. If H
A
Carla and Allison walk at the same speed and run at the same speed, which one arrives home
S
first? A
6. The number of ducks and pigs in a field totals 35. The total number of legs among them is 98. A
N
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. N
G

Lesson Applications L
U
A. Take a camera picture of a personal activity where you were able to use reasoning and N
problem-solving skills in your everyday life. Use Polya’s problem solving heuristics to S
show the details of what you have accomplished. O
D
References
N
Aufmann, R., Lockwood, J., Nation, R., Clegg, D., Epp, S. S., & Abad, E. P. (2018). Mathematics G
in the Modern World. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.
Calingasan, R. M., Martin, M. C., & Yambao, E. M. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. S
Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.,. A
Commission on Higher Education. (2017, October 6). Mathematics in the Modern World N
Preliminaries. Retrieved from CHED: https://ched.gov.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2017/10/KWF-Mathematics-in-the-Modern-World.pdf P
Hurley, J. F. (2002, August 9). What Are Mathematical Proofs and Why They Are Important? A
Retrieved from University of Connecticut: B
https://www2.math.uconn.edu/~hurley/math315/proofgoldberger.pdf L
O

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