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Polya's Four Step Problem Solving - Group 7

Polya's four-step problem solving strategy is applied to determine the number of handshakes that occur when eight people greet each other. The steps are: 1) understand the problem, 2) make a plan by identifying a pattern to count handshakes, 3) carry out the plan using the formula n(n-1)/2 to get 28 handshakes, 4) review the solution by manually listing the handshakes to verify the answer. Applying the four steps results in the determination that 28 handshakes take place when eight people greet each other.

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Erika Jarlata
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2K views

Polya's Four Step Problem Solving - Group 7

Polya's four-step problem solving strategy is applied to determine the number of handshakes that occur when eight people greet each other. The steps are: 1) understand the problem, 2) make a plan by identifying a pattern to count handshakes, 3) carry out the plan using the formula n(n-1)/2 to get 28 handshakes, 4) review the solution by manually listing the handshakes to verify the answer. Applying the four steps results in the determination that 28 handshakes take place when eight people greet each other.

Uploaded by

Erika Jarlata
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Polya’s four step strategy in problem solving allows us to solve the following problem efficiently and

systematically:

If eight people greet each other at a meeting by shaking hands with one another, how many
handshakes take place?

Step 1: Understand the Problem – Identify and list down the given information and what is unknown.

Given that eight people greet each other at a meeting by shaking hands with one another and that a
handshake between person A and B is the same as between B an A,
Let the eight people be A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H

We know from the given problem that the handshakes should not be duplicated/repeated and that a
person cannot shake hands with their own selves.

Step 2: Make a Plan – You can do this graphically, through identifying patterns, or coming up with an
equation.

For this given problem, we saw it best to identify a pattern, then come up with an equation:

Now, let’s say that A has to shake hands of 7 other people:


Handshakes given by A = 7

For B to shake the hands of 7 other people, we avoid the recounting of the handshake between A and B
that has already been counted.
Handshakes given by B = 7-1
=6

Similarly, for C to shake the hands of 7 other people, we avoid the recounting of the handshakes between
A and C and B and C that has already been counted.
Handshakes given by C = 7-2
=5

Consequently, using the same logic, the number of uncounted handshakes for D, E, F, G, H are 4, 3,2, 1,
and 0, respectively. Therefore, continuing in this manner, we end up with
7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 0 = 28

This is something in Math called the “Handshake Lemma” – if there are n people, the number of
handshakes will always be:
n(n-1) /2
This means that for each person of n population, there is an n-1 number of people to shake hands with
excluding their own self. However, this is in the perspective of both participants, and remember that no
handshakes should be counted repeatedly. Therefore, we divide the product of n and n-1 by 2.

Step 3: Carry out the plan – Utilize the plan you made in step 2 to solve for the answer.
# of handshakes = n(n-1) /2
= 8(8-1) / 2
= 8(7) / 2
= 56 / 2
= 28 handshakes
Step 4: Review the solution – Check if your answer is correct.

We can manually list down all the possible handshakes without repetitions to ensure that our answer is
correct.
1. A-B 11. B-F 21. D-G
2. A-C 12. B-G 22. D-H
3. A-D 13. B-H 23. E-F
4. A-E 14. C-D 24. E-G
5. A-F 15. C-E 25. E-H
6. A-G 16. C-F 26. F-G
7. A-H 17. C-G 27. F-H
8. B-C 18. C-H 28. G-H
9. B-D 19. D-E
10. B-E 20. D-F

Our answers coincide with each other. Therefore, if eight people greet each other at a meeting by
shaking hands with one another, 28 handshakes take place.

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