MODULE 2
PROBLEM SOLVING
Introduction
Everyone must have felt at least once in his or her life how wonderful it would be if we
could solve a problem at hand preferably without much difficulty or even with some difficulties.
Unfortunately, the problem solving is an art at this point and there are no universal approaches one
can take to solving problems. Basically, one must explore possible avenues to a solution one by
one until one comes across a right path to a solution. Thus, generally speaking, there is guessing
and hence an element of luck involved in problem solving. However, in general, as one gains
experience in solving problems, one develops one's own techniques and strategies, though they are
often intangible. Thus, the guessing is not an arbitrary guessing but an educated one.
In this module we are going to learn a framework for problem solving and get a glimpse of
strategies that are often used by experts. They are based on the work of Polya.
After the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. identify two types of reasoning;
2. use inductive reasoning to make conjectures;
3. find a counterexample to disprove a conjecture;
4. explain the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning;
5. use deductive reasoning to prove a conjecture;
6. state the four steps in the basic problem-solving procedure;
7. solve problems using a diagram;
8. solve problems using trial and error;
9. solve problems involving money; and
10. solve problems using calculation.
PROBLEM SOLVING – Module 2
TIME FRAME: 6 hours
CHECK-UP TEST
Answer numbers 9 - 10 on page 39 (Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our
World. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.)
LESSON PROPER
Please read pages 4 -34 and be ready for our class discussion of Module 2.
Exercises:
Answer numbers 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 on page 35 (Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our World.
New York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.)
PROBLEM SOLVING – Module 2
References
A. TEXTBOOK
Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our World. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill
Education.
B. BOOKS:
Adam, J. (2009). Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World. New
Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Aufmann, R.N., Lockwood, J. S., Nation, R.D. & Clegg, D. K. (2013). Mathematical
Excursions, Third Edition. CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage
Learning.
Axler, S. (2012). Algebra and Trigonometry (12th edition). Hoboken, New Jersey: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lawsky, E. et al. (2014). CK-12 Probability and Statistics – Advanced ( Second Edition)
Flexbook.
Nachtergaele, B. (2016). Linear Algebra as an Introduction to Abstract Mathematics. New
Jersey : World Scientific.
Nocon, R. (2018). Essential Mathematics for the Modern World. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.
Sirug, W. (2014). Business Mathematics, rev. ed. Manila: Mindshapers Co.
Stewart, I. (1995). Nature’s Numbers. New York, NY: BasicBooks.
C. ELECTRONIC SOURCES:
The Language of Mathematics. Retrieved September 9, 2017 from
http://www.onemathematicalcat.org/pdf file/LANG 1.pdf .
Video: Nature of Numbers by Cristobal Vila, 2010 from
http://www.etereaestudios.com/docs html/nbyn htm/intro.htm
Video: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/secret/secret.html
End of Module 2
PROBLEM SOLVING – Module 2