JOLINA L.
AGLUBA, LPT
A problem
is a chance
for you
to do
your best.
Duke Ellington
What is a
problem?
PROBLEM
- any situation in which some
information is known and other
information is needed.
- something that gives rise to doubt
or uncertainty, or something that is
hard to understand, or a difficult
task or question, or an inquiry that
starts from a given conditions to
investigate facts or principles.
PROBLEM
- an obstacle which makes it
difficult to achieve a desired goal,
objective, or purpose
- a situation, condition, or issue
that is yet unresolved
PROBLEM
-a situation from daily life that has
no obvious solution
-a statement of a desired goal to be
reached
- a question that has no apparent
answer
A problem is a situation in which:
1. We do not have an immediate
solution.
2. We do not know instantly how to
solve it.
3. We want or need to solve it.
A problem exists when an
individual becomes aware of a
significant difference between
what is actually is and what is
desired.
MATHEMATICAL
PROBLEM
- a question about mathematical
objects and structures that may
require a distinct answer or
explanation or proof.
To be a good problem solver we
should feel we have a reasonable
chance of solving it.
To be a mathematical problem
the situation must involve
mathematical reasoning..
In solving problems,
expect to be:
* challenged by unfamiliar
situations
* unsure of how to start
* unaware of how long will it
take to get a solution
Then you must:
* desire the solution
* feel that it is within your ability
* believe that you can begin an
attack
on the problem
“If you can’t solve
a problem, then
there is an easier
problem you can
solve: find it”.
“If you cannot
solve the
proposed
problem, try to
solve first some
related
problems.”
PROBLEM
SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING
- a set of actions taken to perform a
task or to solve a problem.
- a process of applying previously
acquired knowledge to new and
unfamiliar situations.
- a part of the larger problem process
that includes problem finding and
problem shaping.
• Problem solving as a process,
refers to the procedures, strategies,
and heuristics to use in solving
problems.
• Problem solving as a product,
refers to gained skill of solving
problems independent of specific
problems, procedures or methods,
and of content.
The student
should acquire as much
experience of independent work
as possible.
But if he is left alone with his
problem
without any help or with
insufficient help,
he may make no progress at all.
If the teacher helps too much,
nothing is left to the student.
The teacher should help,
but not too much and not too
little,
so that the student shall have
a reasonable share of the work.
GEORGE
POLYA’S
STEPS
TO
PROBLEM
SOLVING
George Polya (1887 –
1985)
He was born in Hungary in
1887, received his Ph.D. at the
University of Budapest, and was
a professor at Stanford
University (among other
universities).
Dr. Polya strongly
believed that the skill of problem
solving could and should be
taught – it is not something that
Greatest Contribution in
Mathematics;
1. Polya’s Problem-Solving Model
- Understand the problem
- Devise a plan
- Carry out the plan
- Look back
2. How to Solve It (1945) - a classic
book on problem solving startegies,
heuristics and techniques.
3. Mathematical Discovery (1962)
- a two -volume book on mathematical
discovery and problem solving.
1. UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM
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?
* What are you asked to find
out or show?
* Can you draw a picture or
diagram to help you understand
the problem?
* Can you restate the
problem in your own words?
* Can you work out some
numerical examples that would
help make the problem more
clear?
2. DEVISE A 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
A partial list of Problem Solving
Strategies include:
* Guess and check
* Solve a simpler problem
* Make an organized list
* Experiment
* Draw a picture or diagram
* Act it out
* Look for a pattern
* Work backwards
* Make a table
* Use deduction
* Use a variable
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
A. SETTING UP EQUATIONS
• Refers to the process of reducing the
information given in a problem to an equation or
a set of equations, which are then solved.
• Often it is preceded by some other strategies
like drawing a diagram and simplifying the
problem.
B. DRAW A DIAGRAM
• Refers to the drawing a freehand sketches or
figures useful in the visualization of situations
given or needed in obtaining a solution to the
problem.
• It is the starting point or a springboard to a
C. GUESS AND CHECK
• Involves guessing, checking, guessing again,
checking again, repeating until a reasonable
answer is arrived at.
• The first may be at random one, but successive
guesses, would become better based on results
from previous guesses.
• It is in the successive “educated” guesses where
careful thinking becomes a necessary
requirement.
D. MAKE AN ORGANIZED LISTING
• This strategy involves listing down information
in a systematic and organized way.
• The key to successful list is organization.
• It is necessary to try several ways of organizing
E. MAKE A TABLE
• Recording data in a table is one way of
organizing data.
• This will be useful in relation to other
strategies such as guess and check and
searching for patterns.
F. SEARCH FOR PATTERN
• Refers to the search for consistent
pattern of numbers that will allow for a
generalization to be made and listed.
• This strategy helps students develop
their inductive reasoning ability.
G. WORK BACKWARDS
• For some problems, it is easier
to start at an end result and work
backward to an initial condition,
taking note of the steps on the
working backward process.
• This strategy is used if a
problem describes a sequence of
events involving numbers, gives
the result, and asks for the
3. CARRY OUT THE PLAN
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
* Carrying out the plan is usually
easier than devising the plan.
* Be patient – most problems are
not solved quickly nor on the first
attempt.
* If a plan does not work
immediately, be persistent.
* Do not let yourself get
discouraged.
* If one strategy isn’t working, try
a different one.
4. LOOK BACK (REFLECT)
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?
* Does your answer
make sense? Did you
answer all of the questions?
* What did you learn by
doing this?
* Could you have done
this problem another way –
maybe even an easier way?
Example 1:
Mr. Jones has a total of 25 chicken and
cows on his farm. How many of each does
he have if all together there are 76 feet?
Solution:
Step 1: Understanding the problem
We are given in the problem that there are
25 chickens and cows. All together there
are 76 feet. Chickens have 2 feet and
cows have 4 feet. We are trying to
determine how many cows and how many
chickens Mr. Jones has on his farm
Step 2: Devise a plan
We are going to use Guess and Test
along with making a table. Make a
table and look for a pattern.
Procedure: Make a table reflecting
the data in the problem. If done in
an orderly way, such a table will
often reveal patterns and
relationships that suggest how the
problem can be solved.
Step 3: Carry out the plan
Chicken Cow Number of Number of Total
Chicken Cow Feet Number of
Feet Feet
20 5 40 20 60
21 4 42 26 58
Notice we are going in the wrong direction! The total
number of feet is decreasing!
19 6 38 24 62
Better! The total number of feet are increasing!
15 10 30 40 70
12 13 24 52 76
Step 4: Looking back
Check: 12 + 13 = 25 heads
24 + 52 = 76 feet.
-Mr. Jones has 12 chickens and 13
cows.
Example 2: A baseball team won two out of their four
games. In how many different orders could they have two
win and two losses in four games?
Solution:
Step 1: Understand the Problem
How many different orders could the baseball team have
two win and two losses in four games.
Step 2: Devise a Plan
We will make an organized list of all possible orders. An
organized list is a list that is produce using a system that
ensures that each of the different order will be listed once
and only once.
Step 3: Carry out the Plan
Each entry in our list must contain two W’s and two
L’s. We will use a strategy that makes sure each
order is considered, with no duplications. One such
strategy is to always write a W unless doing so will
produce too many W’s or a duplicate of one previous
orders. If it is not possible to write a W, then and only
then do we write is L. This strategy produces the six
different orders shown below:
1. WWLL(start with two wins)
2. WLWL(Start with one win)
3. WLLW
4. LLWW (Start with two losses)
5. LWLW (Start with one loss)
6. LWWL
Step 4: Looking Back
We have made an organized list. The
list has no duplicates and the list
consider all possibilities, so we are
confident that there are six different
orders in which a baseball team can
win exactly two out of four games.
Activity !!
Directions: Solve the following problems using
Polya’s four-step. Label your work so that each of
Polya’s four step is identified.
1. Which of the numbers 4, 5, or 6 is a solution
to (n + 3)(n - 2) = 36?
2. Abigail is 6 years older than Jonathan. Six
years ago she was twice as old as he. How old is
each now?
3. How many 3 digit numbers can you make
using the digits 1, 2 and 3 without repetitions?
