Problem Solving

Mathematics in the Modern World

Lesson objective
Solve problems involving
patterns following Polya’s four
steps and other problem solving
heuristics.
Reasoning in Mathematics
Mathematics, as the study of
patterns and relationship, is anchored
on reasoning borne out of observed
patterns and relationships.
For example:

3, 5, 7, 9, 11, ...

What is the next term in the series?

3, 5, 7, 9, 11 are all odd numbers.
The series is composed of odd
numbers.
Therefore, the next term is an odd
number. *
3, 5, 7, 9, 11 are all consecutive odd
numbers.
The series is composed of odd
numbers.
Therefore, the next term is the next
odd number: 13.
Let us have another example:

2, 3, 5, 7, ...

What is the next term in the series?

2, 3, 5, 7 are all consecutive prime
numbers.
The series is composed of prime
numbers.
Therefore, the next term is the next
prime number: 11.
Let us have a third example:

1, 4, 9, 16, ...

What is the next term in the series?

1, 4, 9, 16 are all consecutive square
numbers.
The series is composed of square
numbers.
Therefore, the next term is the next
square number: 25.
Try these!

What are the missing terms in the

following series?
M, V, E, M, J, S, U,
J, F, , A, , , J, A, S, O, N,
O, T, , F, F, , S, E, N,
Problem Solving
Using Polya’s Four Steps in Problem Solving
The problem with problem solving
When one hears about
Mathematics Problem Solving, one
cannot help but feel anxious. The
process is often linked to stressful
memories and difficult questions.
The problem with problem solving
However, what we often forget
about Problem Solving is that it is not
just a process – it is also a skill. And
being a skill, it is therefore something
that can be improved.
The problem with problem solving
This is what
Hungarian
Mathematics
Educator George
Polya believed
in.
POLya’s four steps in problem solving
Polya proposed a general
problem solving heuristic – a way to
methodically solve any problem –
composed of four steps:
POLya’s four steps in problem solving
Devising a Plan

Understanding the
Problem

Carrying out the

Plan
Looking Back
Step 1: understanding the problem
Knowing what the problem demands,
asks, and expects is the first and foremost
step in solving it.
Polya’s first step in problem solving
deals with understanding the problem:
what is the problem all about?
Step 1: understanding the problem
In this step, the problem solver is expected to
determine:
✓ What is asked, i.e. what is the problem to be
solved or question to be answered and the
type of problem involved; and
✓ What are the given data and whether they
are sufficient to answer the problem.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.1
Suppose the OMSC basketball
championship is decided on a best of five
series game. What are the different ways
that the CTE Gurus can win the
championships?
Step 1: understanding the problem
What is asked? For this given problem,
we are asked to determine the different
ways thru which the CTE Gurus can win
the basketball championship.
Step 1: understanding the problem
What are given? Given in this problem is
the number of matches that the team has
to compete in (5 matches). Not explicit in
the problem is the number of winning
matches the team must have to become
the champion (3 out of 5 because it was a
best of five series game).
Step 2: devising a plan
This step basically asks us to
determine how we would approach the
problem and craft a plan. One of the most
basic questions we can ask ourselves at
this step is what operation/strategy will we
use in answering the given problem?
Step 2: devising a plan
In this step, you are expected to:
✓ Identify patterns in the problem which may be
of use in solving the problem;
✓ Identify the operations and procedures that
will be used in solving the problem; and
✓ Decide on the manner of organizing the data
to be generated while exploring the problem.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.1
Suppose the OMSC basketball
championship is decided on a best of five
series game. What are the different ways
that the CTE Gurus can win the
championships?
Step 2: devising a plan
What operation/s will we use? This
problem asks us to determine the ways by
which the team can win the games, i.e.
ways to win three matches out of five. This
is a combination problem (combinatorics)
since the team can win three games out of
five in any manner.
Step 2: devising a plan
Using what we know about combination
and the combination formula, we get:
n!
nCr =
n−r !r!

Where n = total number of matches, i.e. 5

r = number of watches that has to be
won, i.e. 3
Step 2: devising a plan
What operation/s will we use? This
problem asks us to determine the ways by
which the team can win the games, i.e.
ways to win three matches out of five. This
is a combination problem (combinatorics)
since the team can win three games out of
five in any manner.
Step 3: carrying out the plan
In this step, we shall carry out or
execute the plan we had from step 2.
n!
nCr =
n−r !r!
Where n = total number of matches, i.e. 5
r = number of matches that has to be
won, i.e. 3
Step 3: carrying out the plan
5! Substitute the values.
5C 3 = 5−3 !3!
120 Simplify the factorials.
5C 3 = 2 !3!
120
C =
5 3 2∙6
120
C = Divide.
5 3 12
5C3 = 10

The number of different ways that the team can win the
games is 10.
Step 3: carrying out the plan
Check your answer. Our problem requires us to
determine the different ways that the CTE Gurus can win
the best of five basketball games. To check, we can simply
list down all the possible ways that the team can win the
games.
GAME GAME
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
W W W W L L W W
W W L W L W W W
W W L L W L W W L W
W L W W L W L W W
W L W L W L L W W W
Step 3: carrying out the plan
From the list/table, we can see that the team can
win the first three matches to win the championship
(WWW), or the first two, lose on the third, and win the
fourth (WWLW), and so on.

From our list, we can see, that there are ten ways
that the team can win three out five matches and thus win
the championship.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.1
Suppose the OMSC basketball
championship is decided on a best of five
series game. What are the different ways
that the CTE Gurus can win the
championships?
Step 4: look back
At this step, we shall look back at our solution and
the problem and check whether:
✓ the solution is logical with respect to the problem being
solved;
✓ there are no errors In our calculation or solution; and
✓ there is another or simpler way of getting the answer.
Take note that this step does not always have to
include a calculation. Checking the consistency of the
answer to problem is also considered a way to check your
answer.
Step 4: look back
To look back, we can check our
answer using other methods. Or just check
the logic of our answer with respect to the
problem.
Step 4: look back
For this problem, we can list all the
ways for either team to win.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.2
In a local chess tournament, each player
must play against the other players once.
If there are 8 players, how many games
will be played in total?
Step 1: understanding the problem
What is asked? There are 8 players and
each player must play against the other
once. We are asked how many games will
be needed to make it possible.
Step 1: understanding the problem
What are given? Given are the number of
players that are playing in the tournament
(8) and the number of games each player
must have against the other players (1).
Step 2: devising a plan
What operation/s will we use? To
determine the total number of games to be
played, we shall start by determining the
number of games each player shall play
for the tournament. In order to map out the
possible matches between and among the
8 players, we can use a diagram – a tree
diagram like the one below.
Step 2: devising a plan

Player 1 shall
participate in 7
matches.
Step 3: carrying out the plan
Using the diagram as template, we
shall determine how many games each
player will participate in then add them to
get the total number of matchers to be
played.
Step 3: carrying out the plan

7 matches 6 matches
Step 3: carrying out the plan

5 matches
Step 3: carrying out the plan

4 matches 3 matches
Step 3: carrying out the plan

2 matches 1 matches
Step 3: carrying out the plan
We no longer need to draw a diagram
for player 8 because the player has
already been included in all the previous
diagrams.
To determine the total number of
matches to be held, we need only add the
matches from the first diagram to the last:
Step 3: carrying out the plan
7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 28

A total of 28 matches is needed to

ensure that each of the 8 players battles
the other players exactly once.
Step 4: look back
To look back, we can check our
solution by listing down the all the possible
pairings of the players:
Total Number of
Players Matches
Matches
1 vs 2
1 vs 3
1 vs 4
Player 1 1 vs 5 7
1 vs 6
1 vs 7
1 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
2 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 2 so
no longer counted)
2 vs 3
2 vs 4
Player 2 6
2 vs 5
2 vs 6
2 vs 7
2 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
3 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 3 so no
longer counted)
3 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 3 so no
longer counted)

Player 3 3 vs 4 5
3 vs 5
3 vs 6
3 vs 7
3 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
4 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 4 so no longer
counted)
4 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 4 so no longer
counted)
4 vs 3 (same as 3 vs 4 so no longer
Player 4 counted) 4
4 vs 5
4 vs 6
4 vs 7
4 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
5 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 5 so no longer
counted)
5 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 5 so no longer
counted)
5 vs 3 (same as 3 vs 5 so no longer
Player 5 counted) 3
5 vs 4 (same as 4 vs 5 so no longer
counted)
5 vs 6
5 vs 7
5 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
6 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 6 so no longer
counted)
6 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 6 so no longer
counted)
6 vs 3 (same as 3 vs 6 so no longer
counted)
Player 6 6 vs 4 (same as 4 vs 6 so no longer
2
counted)
6 vs 5 (same as 5 vs 6 so no longer
counted)
6 vs 7
6 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
7 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 7 so no longer
counted)
7 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 7 so no longer
counted)
7 vs 3 (same as 3 vs 7 so no longer
counted)
Player 7 7 vs 4 (same as 4 vs 7 so no longer 1
counted)
7 vs 5 (same as 5 vs 7 so no longer
counted)
7 vs 6 (same as 6 vs 7 so no longer
counted)
7 vs 8
Step 4: look back
Total Number
Players Matches
of Matches
8 vs 1 (same as 1 vs 8 so no longer
counted)
8 vs 2 (same as 2 vs 8 so no longer
counted)
8 vs 3 (same as 3 vs 8 so no longer
counted)

Player 8 8 vs 4 (same as 4 vs 8 so no longer

0
counted)
8 vs 5 (same as 5 vs 8 so no longer
counted)
8 vs 6 (same as 6 vs 8 so no longer
counted)
8 vs 7 (same as 7 vs 8 so no longer
counted)
Step 4: look back
7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 28

Our answer checks out!

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.3
In an online role-playing game, a player may
choose among three characters: an elven
assassin named Eonwe, a human mage named
Elessar, and a dwarven warrior named Ingrist.
Upon selecting a character, the player may
choose to play campaign (following a storyline)
or battle (basic online clash). The player may
also select a difficulty mode among three: easy,
normal, and insane. In how many ways can a
player enjoy the game?
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.4
Francesco started with a certain amount of
money before going to the local mall. He spent
₱250.00 for a shirt in one store, ₱650.00 for a
pair of shoes, and ₱450 for a pair of pants. On
his way out of the mall, he passed by the food
court and bought crepes and drinks worth ₱200.
If he had ₱550 left of his money, how much did
he have before going to the mall?
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1.5
In Cindy’s class of 35 students, each student
brought 3 kilos of rice for a donation drive. From
the total collected rice, 25 kilos were donated to
families in a sitio, 30 kilos were donated to an
orphanage, while the rest were given away to
the residents of a tent city. How many kilos were
given to the residents of the tent city?
Practice item (polya)
A little girl started with a certain amount of
money before going to the arcade. She then
bought ₱500.00 worth of tokens to be used in
playing the coin tower game. After spending half
of the tokens on the game, she managed to win
₱800.00. She then bought a life-sized plushy toy
worth ₱1 200.00 at the arcade toy shop. If she
has ₱300.00 left after leaving the arcade, how
much money did she start with?
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