Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
GNED03: Mathematics in the Modern World
GNED03 Edit
io n

KNB?
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
GNED03: Mathematics in the Modern World
 Intended Learning Outcome
After the students have gone through this chapter, they should be able to:
use different types of reasoning to justify statements and arguments made about
mathematics and mathematical concepts
write clear and logical proofs
solve problems involving patterns and recreational problems following Polya’s four steps; and
organize one’s methods and approaches for proving and solving problems
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
Mathematics consists of skills (basic arithmetical
processes and the algorithms) and processes (the
ways of applying these skills)
Mathematical
Reasoning
enables a student to use all
other mathematical skills
Inductive reasoning
refers to the process of making generalized decisions
after observing, and/or witnessing repeated specific
instances of something

The conclusion formed by using inductive reasoning is

often called a conjecture, since it may or may not be
correct.
Example 1
Use inductive reasoning to predict the most probable next
number in each of the following lists.
a. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, ?
b. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ?
Example 2
Consider the following procedure: Pick a number. Multiply
the number by 8, add 6 to the product, divide the sum by 2,
and 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.
Galileo Galilei (1564– 1642)
He used inductive reasoning to discover that the time
required for a pendulum to complete one swing, , called the
period of the pendulum
Example 3
Use the data in the table and inductive reasoning to answer
each of the following.
a. If a pendulum has a length of 25 units, what is its period?
b. If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled, what happens to
its period?
 Counterexamples
A statement is a true statement if and only if 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.
Example 4
Verify that each of the following statements is a false
statement by finding a counterexample.

For all x:
|x| > 0
x² > x
√x² = x
Deductive
reasoning
refers to the process of taking the information gathered
from general observations and making specific
decisions based on that information

the process of reaching a conclusion by applying

general assumptions, procedures, or principles
Example 5
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
 Inductive Reasoning Deductive Reasoning
1st Premise: John is an excellent swimmer.
2nd Premise: John’s family has a swimming
1st Premise: All numbers ending in 0 and 5
pool.
are divisible by 5.
Conclusion: John’s sister Mary must also be
2nd Premise: The number 35 ends with a 5.
an excellent swimmer.
Conclusion: Therefore, 35 is divisible by 5.

1st Premise: Elijah is good-looking.

2nd Premise: Elijah is well-behaved. Inductive 1st Premise: All squares are rectangles.

Reasoning
Conclusion: Therefore, all good-looking are 2nd Premise: All rectangles have four
well-behaved sides.
Conclusion: Therefore, all squares have
four sides.

1st Premise: The coin pulled from a bag is a

penny.
vs
Deductive
2nd Premise: A second coin from the bag is
1st Premise: Cacti are plants.
a penny.
2nd Premise: All plants perform
Conclusion: Therefore, all the coins in the
photosynthesis.

Reasoning
bag are pennies.
Conclusion: Cacti perform photosynthesis.

1st Premise: Children in the day-care

center are playful. 1st Premise: All men are mortal.
2nd Premise: Children in the day-care 2nd Premise: Math teachers are men.
center like to play with Legos. Conclusion: Math teachers are mortal.
Conclusion: Therefore, playful children like
to play Legos.
Inductive Reasoning Deductive Reasoning

GENERAL
TO
SPECIFIC
SPECIFIC
TO
GENERAL
Example 6
Determine whether each of the following arguments is an example of
inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning.

a. During the past 10 years, a tree has produced plums every other year. Last
year the tree did not produce plums, so this year the tree will produce plums.

b. All home improvements cost more than the estimate. The contractor
estimated my home improvement will cost P35,000. Thus my home
improvement will cost more than P35,000.
 deductive reasoning
Some logic puzzles can be solved by using deductive reasoning and a
chart that enables us to display the given information in a visual manner.
Example 7
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.
Example 7
EDITOR BANKER CHEF DENTIST

SEAN

MARIA

SARAH

BRIAN
Example 7
EDITOR BANKER CHEF DENTIST

SEAN

MARIA

SARAH

BRIAN
Example 7
EDITOR BANKER CHEF DENTIST

SEAN

MARIA

SARAH

BRIAN
Example 7
EDITOR BANKER CHEF DENTIST

SEAN

MARIA

SARAH

BRIAN
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
 Intuition
the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for
conscious reasoning

INSTINCTIVE KNOWLEDGE
Being aware of or knowing something without having to discover or
perceive it, or the ability to do it
INSTINCTIVE BELIEF
Knowing or believing something instinctively, even without actual
evidence for it.
 Mathematical Proof
an argument which convinces other people that something is true

In direct proof, the conclusion is established by logically combining the

axioms, definitions and earlier theorems.
“the sum of two even integers is always even”
 “the sum of two even integers is always even”

Consider two even integers x and y.

Since they are even, they can be written as x = 2a and y = 2b,

respectively, for integers a and b.

Then the sum x + y = 2a + 2b = 2(a + b).

Therefore x + y has 2 as a factor and, by definition, is even

 Certainty
total continuity and validity of inquiries to the highest degree of
precision
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
 POLYA’S FOUR STEPS TO
PROBLEM SOLVING
1 2 3 4
POLYA’S FOUR STEPS
01. Understand the
Problem

TO PROBLEM SOLVING
George Polya
02. Devise a plan

“Father of Problem Solving”

03.
Carry out the
plan

04. Look back

Example 1
Consider the map, Allison wishes to walk along the streets
from point A to point B. How many direct routes can Allison
take?
Example 2
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?
Example 3
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?
Example 4
Determine the digit 100 places to the right of the decimal
point in the decimal representation 7/27
Example 5
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 P200 for passing
GO. She then lost half her remaining money when she landed
on Illinois Avenue. Stacy now has P2500. How much did she
have just before she purchased the hotel?
Example 6
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?
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
There are simple and common problem-solving
strategies, to mention a few:

Guess (This includes guess-and-check and guess-and-

improve.)
Act it out. (Act it out and use equipment.)
Draw (This includes drawing pictures and diagrams.)
List/Tabulate (This includes making a table.)
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES/ HEURISTICS
HEURISTIC 2: USING A TABLE
Janice wanted to distribute stickers equally among some children. If
each child received 8 stickers, she would have 3 stickers left. If each
child will receive 11 stickers, she will need another 9 stickers. How
many children were there?
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES/ HEURISTICS

HEURISTIC 3: MAKING A SYSTEMATIC LIST

A shop sells apples in bags of 3 and lemons in bags of 4. Paul buys
some bags of apples and lemons and buys the same number of each
fruit. If he bought more than 20 but fewer than 30 pieces of each
fruit, how many apples did Paul buy?
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
PATTERN
a regular, systematic repetition and may be numerical, visual,
or sequential.
Examples of find-a-pattern problem-solving
strategy:

1. Suppose you decided to sign up for a half marathon (13.1

miles) race. After a long and rigid three months of training with
a coach, race day is here! The gun goes off, and you embark on
attempting a really impressive feat. Your coach records your
elapsed time, in minutes, for the first five miles of the race, and
the results are as follows:
Solution:
1. Every time the miles go up by 1, the elapsed time goes up by 10.
2. The elapsed time can be found by multiplying the mile number by 10.
3. There is a difference of 1 between each mile in the chart, and there is
a difference of 10 between each elapsed time in the chart.
 T = 10m
where T is the elapsed time and m is the number of miles you've run.
Examples of find-a-pattern problem-solving
strategy:

2. Can you find the sum of the first 100 even positive numbers? Find a pattern.
Solution:
The sum of first 1 even positive number is 2 or 1(1 + 1) = 2
The sum of the first 2 even positive numbers is 2 + 4 = 6 or 2(2 + 1) = 2(3)
The sum of the first 3 even positive numbers is 2 + 4 + 6 = 12 or 3(3 + 1) = 3(4)
The sum of the first 4 even positive numbers is 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 20 or 4(4 + 1) = 4(5)
Therefore, following the pattern above, the sum of the first 100 even positive
numbers is 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + … + 200 = 100(100 + 1) = 100 (101) or 10,100.
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics
Recreational mathematics involves problems, riddles, puzzles,
brain-teasers and games carried out for recreation or leisure
rather than as a research or application-based professional
activity
Recreational mathematics employs creative problem-solving,
logical reasoning approaches, reflective thinking and algebra
techniques.
 Chapter III:

Problem Solving
and Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | Intuition, Proof and Certainty | Polya’s Four Steps to
Problem-Solving | Problem-Solving Strategies | Mathematical Problems Involving
Patterns | Recreational Problems Using Mathematics