CHAPTER 3:

PROBLEM SOLVING
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
PHIL. EDITION

PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARK CHRISTIAN S. TAGUIBAO

Part-time Faculty
Chapter 3
Objective

◦ To help the Reader and Listener to be a better

Problem Solver.

◦ To demonstrate that problem solving can be an

enjoyable experience.
 3.1 Inductive and Deductive
Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning

◦ is the process of reaching a general conclusion by

examining specific examples.

When you examine a list of numbers and predict the next number in
the list according to some pattern you are using inductive reasoning.
Example 1Use Inductive Reasoning to
Predict a Number

Use inductive reasoning to predict the next

number in each of the following lists.
◦ 3,6,9,12,15,?

Each successive number is 3 larger than the preceding number.

Thus we predict that the next number in the list is 3
larger than 15, which is 18.
◦ 1,3,6,10.15,?
The first two numbers differ by 2, the second and the third
number differ by 3. It appears that the difference between any
two number is always 1 more than the preceding difference.
Since 10 and 15 differ by 5, we predict that the next
number is the list will be 6 larger than 15, which is 21.
Example 2: Use Inductive Reasoning to
Make a Conjecture

Consider the following procedure: Pick a

number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to
product, divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3.

Complete the above procedure for several

different number. Use inductive reasoning to
make a conjecture about the relationship
between the size of the resulting number and
the size of original number.
Example 2 (continuation)
Solution:
Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3
Original Number 5 6 10
Multiple by 8 40 48 80
Add 6 46 54 86
Divided by 2 23 27 43
Subract 3 20 24 40

In each of these cases the resulting number is four times the original
number. We conjecture that following the given procedure produces a
number that is four times the original number.
Example 3 Inductive Reasoning to
Solve an Application
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) used inductive
reasoning to discover that the time required
for a pendulum to complete one swing, called
the period of pendulum, depends on the
length of the pendulum. Galileo did not have
a clock, so he measured the periods of
pendulums in “heartbeats”.
Length of pendulum, in Period of pendulum, in
units heartbeats
1 1
4 2
9 3
16 4
25 5
36 6
Continuation...
Use the data from the table in the previous
slide and inductive reasoning to answer the
following questions.
a) If a pendulum has a length of 49 units,
what is its period?
b) If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled,
what happens to its period?
Length of pendulum, in units Period of pendulum, in heartbeats
1 1
4 2
9 3
16 4
25 5
36 6
 Number of Dot 1 2 3 4 5 6
Maximum number of
Region 1 2 4 8 16 ?

1 1 1 3

1 2 1 2 1 3
4
2 2
1 6 3 5 5 4
3 5 8 6 4
14 15 13

2 4 4 17 16 12 3
8
11
7 9
10 3
2 1
2
2
 6

18 30
29
17 19 28 5
1
16 31
20 27 26
15 24 25
22
21 23
1 2 14
11 4
12

13
3
4
8 9
7
5
2 10
6

3
Counterexamples
A statement is true statement provided that 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 Find a
Counterexample
Verify that each of the following statements is
a false statement by finding a
counterexample.
1. |x| > 0
2. x2>x
3. √(x2)=x
Deductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning

◦ Is the process of reaching a conclusion by applying

general assumptions, procedures, or principles.
Example 5: Use Deductive Reasoning to
Establish a Conjecture

Use deductive reasoning to show the

following procedure produces a number that
is four times the original number.

Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the

number by 8, and add 6 to the product,
divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3.
Example 5 Solution
Let n represent the original number.

Multiply the number by 8: 8n

Add 6 to the product: 8n+6
Divide the sum by 2: (8n+6)/2 (simply)
4n+3
Subtract 3: 4n+3-3 (simply)
4n
We started with n and ended with 4n. The procedure given
in this example produces a number that is four times the
original number.
MATHMATTERS

“Mathematics is not a deductive science – that’s

a cliché. When you try to prove a theorem
you don’t just list hypotheses, and then start
to reason. What you do is trial and error,
experimentation, quesswork.”

-Paul R. Halmos (1916-2006)

 Example 6 Determine type of
Reasoning
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 will
produce plums.
b. All home improvements cost more than the
estimate. The contractor estimated that my
home improvement will cost 35,000. Thus my
home improvement will cost more than 35,000.
Example 7: Solve a Logic Puzzle
Each of the four neighbors, Sean, Maria, Sarah,
and Brian, has different occupation (editor,
banker, chef, or dentist). The from 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.
Logic Puzzle
Clue 3:
1: The dentist
Maria and Sarah
gets home fromleave
workfor work
after the
at the same
banker time. the dentist.
but before
Clue 4:
2: The
Sarah, who is
banker thenext
lives last to gettohome,
door Brian.is
not the editor

Editor Banker Chef Dentist

X Y X X
Sean
Y X X X
Maria
X X Y X
Sarah
X X X Y
Brian
KenKen Puzzles
3.2 Problem Solving with
Patterns
Terms of a Sequence

An order list of number is called a sequence.

The number in a sequence that are separated

by commas are the terms of the sequence.

(Sequence)🡪5, 14, 27, 44, 65, …

terms
Problem Solving with
Pattern
What is the next term?

What formula or rule can be used to generate

the terms?

1. 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, ? 1
2. 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, ? 7
9
3. 2, 7, 24, 59, 118, 207, ? 0
33
2
Difference Table
For the sequence: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, …

Sequence: 2 5 8 1114…

First differences: 3 3 3 3

Thus, to predict the next number in the sequence, we predict that

14+3=17 is the next term of the sequence.
Difference Table
For the sequence: 5, 14, 27, 44, 65, …

Sequence: 5 14274765 … 90

First difference 9 131721 25

Second difference 4 4 4 4
 Example 8Predict the Next
Term of a Sequence

For the sequence

?
2 7 24 59 118 207 _____ … 332

5 17 35 59 89 125

12 18 24 30 36

6 6 6 6
Polygon Number
Ancient Greek Mathematicians where
interested in geometric shapes.
Finding the nth term
Triangular Number: Tn = n(n+1)
1,3,6,10, 15, … 2
Square Number:
1, 4, 9, 26, 25, … Sn = n 2
Pentagonal Number:
1, 5, 12, 22, 35, … Pn = n(3n-1)
2
Example 9
Find the following:
1. Find the 25th, 61st, and 99th Triangular
Numbers.
2. Find the 7th, 23rd, and 55th Square Numbers.
3. Find the 9th, 42nd, and 71st Pentagonal
Numbers.
T25 = n(n+1) = 25(25+1) = 650 = 325
2 2 2
T61 = n(n+1) = 61(61+1) = 3783 = 1891
2 2 2
T99 = n(n+1) = 99(99+1) = 9900 = 4550
2 2 2
Example 9
Find the following:
1. Find the 25th, 61st, and 99th Triangular
Numbers.
2. Find the 7th, 23rd, and 55th Square Numbers.
3. Find the 9th, 42nd, and 71st Pentagonal
Numbers.
Sn = n 2 S7 = 7 2 = 49
Sn = n 2 S23 = 232 = 529
Sn = n 2 S55 = 552 = 3025
Example 9
Find the following:
1. Find the 25th, 61st, and 99th Triangular
Numbers.
2. Find the 7th, 23rd, and 55th Square Numbers.
3. Find the 9th, 42nd, and 71st Pentagonal
Numbers.
T9 = n(3n-1) = 9((9x3)-1) = 234 = 117
2 2 2
T42 = n(3n-1) = 42((42x3)-1) = 5250 = 2625
2 2 2
T99 = n(3n-1) = 71((71x3)-1) = 15052 = 7526
2 2 2
References
Chapter 3: Problem Solving (p55-p100)
Mathematics in the Modern Word
Philippine Edition