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Problem Solving

The document discusses problem solving in mathematics. It provides a 6 step process for solving problems: 1) Read the problem carefully twice, 2) Plan your strategy by considering formulas, graphs, or terms you need to look up, 3) Draw a sketch or diagram to illustrate the information, 4) Label unknown quantities with variables, 5) Write equations or inequalities to describe the information given, and 6) Solve the equations or inequalities to find the solution. It also summarizes Polya's 4 phases for problem solving: 1) Understand the problem, 2) Devise a plan, 3) Carry out the plan, and 4) Look back on the solution.

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Muhammad Rizam Hj Bakri
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183 views

Problem Solving

The document discusses problem solving in mathematics. It provides a 6 step process for solving problems: 1) Read the problem carefully twice, 2) Plan your strategy by considering formulas, graphs, or terms you need to look up, 3) Draw a sketch or diagram to illustrate the information, 4) Label unknown quantities with variables, 5) Write equations or inequalities to describe the information given, and 6) Solve the equations or inequalities to find the solution. It also summarizes Polya's 4 phases for problem solving: 1) Understand the problem, 2) Devise a plan, 3) Carry out the plan, and 4) Look back on the solution.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Rizam Hj Bakri
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A problem is a task for which:

1) The person confronting it wants or needs to find a solution.

2) The person has no readily available procedure for finding the solution.

3) The person must make an attempt to find a solution.

FOUR PHASES IN SOLVING A PROBLEM

In solving any problems, it helps to have a working procedure. You might want to
consider this four-step procedure: Understand, Plan, Try It, and Look Back.

Understand -- Before you can solve a problem you must first understand it.
Read and re-read the problem carefully to find all the clues and determine what the
question is asking you to find.

What is the unknown?


What are the data?
What is the condition?

Plan -- Once you understand the question and the clues, it's time to use your
previous experience with similar problems to look for strategies and tools to answer
the question.

Do you know a related problem?


Look at the unknown! And try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a
similar unknown?

Try It -- After deciding on a plan, you should try it and see what answer you
come up with.

Can you see clearly that the step is correct?


But can you also prove that the step is correct?

Look Back -- Once you've tried it and found an answer, go back to the
problem and see if you've really answered the question. Sometimes it's easy to
overlook something. If you missed something check your plan and try the problem
again.
Can you check the result?
Can you check the argument?
Can you derive the result differently?
Can you see it at a glance?

PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES

1. Make a table
2. Make an organised list
3. Look for a pattern
4. Guess and check
5. Draw a picture or graph
6. Work backwards
7. Solve a simpler problem
The list of problem-solving strategies above is by no means
exhaustive. You may like to read up on some other strategies
such as
(i) Reading and restating problem.
(ii) Brainstorming
(iii) Looking in another way
(iv) Making a model
(v) Identifying cases
PROBLEM EXTENSION

Goals for Extension


1) Lead pupils to generalisation

2) Introduce or integrate other branches of mathematics

3) Provide opportunities for divergent thinking and making value judgements

Principles for Extending a Set of Problems


At a party I attended recently, I noticed that every person shook hands with each
other person exactly one time. There were 12 people at the party. How many
handshakes were there?

Principle for Problem New Problem


Variation
A. Change the problem context/ A. Twelve students in Ms.Palmer's fifth-
setting (e.g., party to a Ping-Pong grade class decided to have a Ping-Pong
tournament). tournament. They decided that each students
would play one game against each other
students. How many games were played?
B. Change the numbers (e.g., 12 B. At a party I attended recently, I noticed
becomes 20 or n). that every,person shook hands with each
other person exactly one time. There were 20
people at the party. How many handshakes
were there? That if there were n people at the
party?
C. Change the number of C. At a party I attended recently I noticed
conditions(e.g., instead of the single that every person but the host,Tim, shook
condition that "every person shook hands with each other person exactly one
hands with each other person exactly time. Tim shook hands with everyone twice
one time," we add the condition "Tim (once when they arrived, once when they
shook hands with everyone twice." left). There were 12 people at the party. How
many handshakes were there?
D. Reverse given and wanted D. At a party I attended recently I noticed
information (e.g., in the basic problem that every person shook hands with each
you are given the number of people at other person exactly one time. If I told you
the party and you want to find how there were 66 handshakes, could you tell me
many handshakes there are; the reverse how many people were at the party?
is true in the new problem).
E. Change some combination of E. E. All 20 students in Ms. Palmer's fifth-
context, numbers' conditions, and grade class decided to have a Ping-Pong
given/wanted information (e.g., in tournament. They decided that each student
problem E both the context and the would play one game against each other
numbers have been changed). Note: student. How many games were played?
There are 11 combinations possible!

REFERENCES

1. CHARLES, R. I. AND MASON, R. P. AND NOFSINGER, J. M.AND WHITE,


C. A.
Problem-Solving Experiences In Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company; 1985.

2. DOLAN, D. T. AND WILLIAMSON, J.


Teaching Problem-Solving Strategies. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company;
1983.

3.MEYER, CAROL AND SALLEE, TOM.


Make It Simpler. Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 1983.

4. POLYA G.
How To Solve It. Princeton University Press; 1973.5.

CAROLE GREENES, JOHN GREGORY AND DALE SEYMOUR.


Successful problem Solving Techniques. Creative Publications, Inc.
www.math.utah.edu/~alfeld/math/polya.html

Problem Solving in Mathematics


By Linda Hinkle, eHow Editor

Rate: (1 Ratings)

Problem solving in mathematics is an important skill that is useful in many other areas as
well. Good problem solving skills are an asset in every aspect of day to day life. Because it is
a skill, it takes practice to master problem solving. Many students have trouble developing
these skills because they think they should be able to find the solution to a problem
immediately. When they can't, they often become frustrated and give up. The following basic
techniques should help develop problem solving skills in mathematics.

Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Read through the problem very carefully. Then go back and read it again. Before you start to
solve the problem, you want to have a clear understanding in your mind about what
information the problem presents and what information it is asking you to find.
Step2
Plan your strategy. Continue re-reading the problem as you do this. Think about any formulas
from geometry you may need to use. Look them up and write them down for reference if you
don't remember them. Decide if the problem requires you to graph equations or plot points. If
the problem uses terms that you don't know the meaning of, look them up. Really think about
everything in the problem, don't just skim over it.
Step3
Draw a sketch or make a diagram. This is a habit that is difficult for most students to develop,
probably because they just don’t understand how beneficial it can be. Making a sketch to
illustrate the information in the problem helps you analyze the data and clarify things in your
mind. If the problem doesn’t lend itself to making a diagram or sketch, jot down some notes
to organize your thoughts.
Step4
Label unknown quantities with variables. For example, if the problem requires you to find the
cost of a concert ticket, you’ll want to write a statement something like “Let C = the cost of a
concert ticket.” Make sure you have a very clear understanding of exactly what the variable
stands for.
Step5
Describe the information in the problem with equations or inequalities. After you’ve written
them, read through the problem again to make sure your statements accurately describe the
information.
Step6
Find solutions to the equations or inequalities that you wrote in Step 5. Use algebra skills that
you have learned to do this.

G. Polya, How to Solve It


Summary taken from G. Polya, "How to Solve It", 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1957,
ISBN 0-691-08097-6.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM


o First. You have to understand the problem.
o What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition?
o Is it possible to satisfy the condition? Is the condition sufficient to determine
the unknown? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
o Draw a figure. Introduce suitable notation.
o Separate the various parts of the condition. Can you write them down?
2. DEVISING A PLAN
o Second. Find the connection between the data and the unknown. You may be
obliged to consider auxiliary problems if an immediate connection cannot be
found. You should obtain eventually a plan of the solution.
o Have you seen it before? Or have you seen the same problem in a slightly
different form?
o Do you know a related problem? Do you know a theorem that could be useful?
o Look at the unknown! And try to think of a familiar problem having the same
or a similar unknown.
o Here is a problem related to yours and solved before. Could you use it? Could
you use its result? Could you use its method? Should you introduce some
auxiliary element in order to make its use possible?
o Could you restate the problem? Could you restate it still differently? Go back
to definitions.

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