PROBLEM-SOLVING

and
REASONING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the chapter, the students must have:
• used different types of reasoning to justify and prove
statements/arguments made about mathematics and mathematical
concepts,
• solved recreational problems and other problems following Polya’s
Four Steps, and
• organized one’s methods and approaches to proving and solving
problems.
POLYA’S 4-STEPS IN
PROBLEM SOLVING
Prepared by:
Deanne Kaye G. Bosque
Jeslyne Grace Domigo
Glorie Mae Francia
GEORGE POLYA
 was a teacher and mathematician
 lived from 1887-1985
 published a book in 1945:
“How To Solve It”
POLYA’S 4-STEPS IN PROBLEM-SOLVING
 UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

• Do you understand all the words used in the problem?

• What are you asked to find or show?
• Can you restate the problem in your own words?
• Is there enough information to enable you to find a solution?
 DEVISE A PLAN

• able to organize information or connect information to a concept

• able to draw pictures, tables, or charts out of the information
• able to determine a formula or transform problems into
mathematical sentences
• able to look for patterns
• able to perform an experiment
 CARRY OUT THE PLAN

• 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.
 LOOK BACK

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.
1. DRAWING A DIAGRAM (VENN)

These are geometric shapes that represent a set. Usually, a

rectangle represents the Universal Set (U), and circles for other smaller
sets (subsets). They are the principal ways of showing sets and their
relationships between and among others diagrammatically.
EXAMPLE:
In a class of 100 students, the teacher asked each of them the subjects they
are enrolled in for the current semester. A summary of their responses is
given below:
28 are enrolled in PE 1
31 are enrolled in Bio 1
42 are enrolled in Eng 1
9 are enrolled in PE1 and Bio1
10 are enrolled in PE1 and Eng1
6 are enrolled in Bio1 and Eng1
4 are enrolled in the 3 subjects
a. How many students are not enrolled in any of the three subjects?
b. How many students are enrolled in PE1 but not in Bio1 or Eng1?
c. How many students are enrolled in Bio1 and PE1 but not Eng1?
d. How many students are enrolled in exactly two subjects?
e. How many students are enrolled in at most two subjects?
SOLUTION:
Understand the Problem
• From the given situation, there are 3 groups (3 sets) which are
intersecting (overlapping)
• The total number of students is 100.

Devise a Plan
• Make a simple Venn diagram where the three groups overlap. The
overlapping region of the 3 groups represents the 4 enrollees. Then
work backwards satisfying the given information
Carry out the Plan
• Fill up the regions with numbers
satisfying the given information. Get
the sum of all the entries in each region
then subtract it from the total number
of enrollees (100). The remainder
represents those who were not enrolled
in any of the 3 subjects.
a. How many students are not enrolled in any of the three
subjects? 20
b. How many students are enrolled in PE1 but not in Bio1 or
Eng1? 13
c. How many students are enrolled in Bio1 and PE1 but not
Eng1? 5
d. How many students are enrolled in exactly two subjects?
2+6+5
e. How many students are enrolled in at most two subjects?
100 - 4

Not enrolled - those outside the 3 circles

Exactly 2 subjects – intersection of two circles
At most two subjects – enrolled in 2 subject and below
‘AND’ – intersection
‘OR’ - union
Look Back at the Solution
• Looking at the Venn diagram shows
that the sum of the quantities in all
regions is 100. All the conditions
stated were satisfied. Therefore, the
solution is correct.
2. THROUGH LISTING

Listing is a method of organizing data in a problem.

Through listing, one discovers relationships and patterns among
data.
EXAMPLE:

• A basketball 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?
SOLUTION:
Understand the Problem
• There are many different orders. They may have won two straight
games and lost the last two; or lost the first two and won the last two;
and other possibilities.
Devise a Plan
• Make an organized list of all the possible orders, ensuring that each of
the different orders will be listed once and only once.
Carry out the Plan
• Each entry must contain two W’s (win) and two L’s (loss). We will use a strategy that makes
sure each order is considered with no duplications. Try to list the different orders. How many
orders are there?
DIFFERENT ORDERS:
Look back at the solution
1. WWLL
• The list has no duplicates and the list has
2. WLWL
considered all possibilities, so we are confident
3. WLLW
that there are 6 orders in which a baseball team
4. LLWW
can win exactly two out of four games.
5. LWLW
6. LWWL
3. TRIAL AND IMPROVEMENT

This strategy utilizes multiple attempts to reach a solution.

As the name implies, it is a trying method, if it works, then great,
but if it doesn’t, then a new method is performed until a solution
is reached.
EXAMPLE:

• 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 counting numbers, from the
numbers 13 to 19 that have a product of 4590.
Devise a Plan
• Note that 4590 ends in 0, so it has a factor of 2 and a 5, which means, at
least one of the numbers we seek is an even number and must have 5 as
a factor.
SOLUTION:

Carry out the Plan

Look back at the Solution

4. USING AN EQUATION/FORMULAS

Using equation or formula can be simple. There is an

introduction of a variable which is used to satisfy the conditions
given in a problem.
EXAMPLE:

• 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 Devise a Plan

• Form the working equation:
What is asked? What are the given?
x + (x + 90) = 100
If we represent x to be the cost of the
hat,
x + 90 to be the cost of the
jacket
Total cost = $100
SOLUTION:
Carry out the Plan Look back at the Solution
Manipulate the working
equation: The sum of the costs is $5 +
x + (x + 90) = 100 $95 = $100, and the cost of the
2x + 90 = 100 jacket is $90 more than the cost of
2x = 10 the hat. This check confirms that the
x=5 hat costs $5 and the jacket costs $95.
Therefore, the hat costs $5
while the jacket costs
$5 + $90 = $95.
5. WORKING BACKWARDS

This strategy is used when a series of operations is done on

an unknown number and one is given the result only.
Using this method requires one to start with the result and
apply the operations in reverse order until you find the starting
number.
EXAMPLE:

• Maria has a certain amount of money in her bank account on Thursday

morning. That day, she writes a check for P156,000 and makes an ATM
withdrawal of P50,000 and deposits a check for P357,200. At the end of
the day, her balance is 438,800. How much money did she have in the
bank at the beginning of the day?
SOLUTION:
Understand the Problem Devise a Plan
• Need to find the money in • Start with the result and apply the
Maria’s account the beginning of the operations in reverse.
day

• She took (writes) up P156,000

and withdrawal of P50,000.

• She ended with 287,600

• Deposited P357,200
SOLUTION: Look back at the Solution

Carry out the Plan Maria starts with P287,600.

Start with P438,800. She writes a check for 156,000:

P287,600-156000 = 131,600.
Subtract 357,200 (as this was
deposited) She withdraws P50,000: 131,600 –
P50,000 = 81,600
Add 50,000 (withdrawn) plus 156,000
(written) She deposits P357,200: 81,600 +
357,200 = 438,800.
The original amount is P287,600.
The answer checks out.
RECREATIONAL
PROBLEMS
USING
MATHEMATICS

May Karylle C. Arellano

Lovern Fei M. Sonajo
RECREATIONAL PROBLEM
- are concise intellectual challenges often associated with puzzles
which may or may not involve mathematical solutions but generally require
critical thinking and ingenious strategies.
EXAMPLES:

• Sudoku • Rubik’s cube

• Card games
• Magic Square
• Kenken Puzzle
• Chess
KEN-KEN PUZZLES
• KenKen is an arithmetic-based logic puzzle that was invented by
the Japanese mathematics teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto in 2004.
• “ken” means knowledge and awareness
• “kenken means knowledge squared or awareness squared
RULES FOR SOLVING A KENKEN PUZZLE
6+ 3x
• For a 3 x 3, fill in each box of the grid with
one of the numbers 1, 2 or 3…
5+
• Grids range in size from a 3 x 3 up to a 9 x 9.
2
• Do not repeat a number in any row or
column.
2
RULES FOR SOLVING A KENKEN PUZZLE
• The numbers in each heavily outline set of 6+ 3x
squares called cages, must combine to produce 2 1 3
the target number in the top left corner of the
5+
cage using the mathematical operation indicated.
3 2 1
• Cages with just one square should be filled in 2
with the target number. 1 3 2
• A number can be repeated within a cage as long
as it is not in the same row or column.
2x 64x 3
2 1 4 3 1 2 4 3
8+ 9+
1 3 2 4 3 1 2 4
3
3 4 1 2 2 4 3 1
1
4 2 3 1 4 3 1 2
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