Chapter 3

Problem Solving and Reasoning

Midterm Period
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the chapter, the
students should be able to:
1. Define the terms and concepts in problem
solving;
2. Employ inductive and deductive reasoning in
problem solving;
3. Use four steps of Polya in problem solving;
4. Apply the different problem solving strategies
in solving real life problems; and
5. Solve accurately recreational math problems
such as logic puzzles and math tricks. 2
 Week 1
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

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 Monty Hall Problem:
The grand prize in Let’s Make a Deal is
behind one of three doors. Less desirable
prizes (for instance, a goat and a box of
candy) are behind the other two doors. You
select one of the doors, say door 1.
Monty Hall reveals one of the less
desirable prizes behind one of the other
doors. You are then given the opportunity
either to stay with your original choice or
to choose the remaining closed door.
What do you think? Do you have a better
chance of winning the grand prize by
switching to the other closed door or
staying with your original choice?. 4
INDUCTIVE REASONING
is the process of reaching a general
conclusion by examining specific
examples. A conclusion based on
inductive reasoning is called a
conjecture. A conjecture may or may
not be correct.
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Examples of Inductive Reasoning
1. Markus leaves for school at 6:00 AM.
Markus is always on time. Markus assumes
then, that he will always be on time if he
leaves at 6:00 AM.
2. The cost of goods was Php100. The cost of
labor was Php50. The selling price of the item
is P300; so the item always provides a good
profit.
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3. Every windstorm in this area comes
from the North. I can see a big cloud of
dust caused by a windstorm in the
distance; so, a new storm is coming
from the North.
4. Red is a football player. All football
players weigh more than 170 lbs. Red
weighs more than 170 lbs.
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5. During the past 15 years, a tree has
produced mango fruits every other year.
Last year, the tree did not produce mango
fruits, so this year the tree will produce
mango fruits.
6. I know I will win a jackpot on this slot
machine in the next 10 tries, because it has
not paid out any money during the last 30
tries.
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Example 2
Use inductive reasoning to predict the
next number in each of the following lists.
a. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, ?
b. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ?
c. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ?
d. ½, 2/3, ¾, 4/5, ?
e. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ?
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Example 3
Use inductive reasoning to make a Conjecture
Consider the following procedure:
Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6
to the product, divide the sum by 2, and
subtract 3.
Complete the above procedure for several
different numbers. Use inductive reasoning to
make a conjecture about the relationship
between the size of the resulting number and
the size of the original number. 1
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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 = 4n + 3
Subtract 3 4n + 3 – 3 = 4
We started with n and ended up with 4n. The procedure
given in this example produces a number that is 4
times the original.
Conjecture
The resulting number is four times the original number.
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Example 4
Use Inductive reasoning to solve an application

Length of Period of pendulum,

pendulum, in units in heartbeats
1 1
4 2
9 3
16 4
25 5
36 6
Use the data in the table and inductive reasoning to The period of a
answer each of the following questions. pendulum is the time it
a. If a pendulum has a length of 49 units, what is its takes for the pendulum
period? to swing from left to
b. If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled, what right and back to its
happens to its period? original position. 1
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 SEATWORK 1
Inductive Reasoning

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Problem 1
Use inductive reasoning to predict the
next number in each of the following lists.
a. 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, ?
b. 5, 11, 17, 23, 29, ?
c. 3, 5, 9, 15, 23, ?
d. 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, ?
e. 1, 5, 12, 22, 35, ?
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Problem 2
Use inductive reasoning to make a Conjecture
Consider the following procedure:
Pick a number. Multiply the number by 6, add
10 to the product, divide the sum by 2, and
subtract 5.
Complete the above procedure for several
different numbers. Use inductive reasoning to
make a conjecture about the relationship
between the size of the resulting number and
the size of the original number. 1
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Problem 3
Use Inductive reasoning to solve an application
Velocity of tsunami, Height of tsunami,
in feet per second in feet
6 4
9 9
12 16
15 25
18 36
21 49
A tsunami is a sea wave produced by an underwater earthquake.
The height of the tsunami as it approaches land depends on the
velocity of the tsunami. Use the data in the table and inductive
reasoning to answer each of the following questions.
a. What happens to the height of the tsunami when its velocity is
doubled? 1
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b. What should be the height of the tsunami if its velocity is 30 feet per
second?
DEDUCTIVE REASONING
is the process of reaching a conclusion
by applying general assumptions,
procedures, or principles

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Examples of Deductive Reasoning
1. All men are mortal. Jakob is a man.
Therefore, Jakob is mortal.
2. All integers ending in 0 or 5 are
divisible by 5. Therefore, 905 is divisible
by 5.

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Examples of Deductive Reasoning
3. To earn a Master’s Degree in Mathematics, a
graduate student must earn 42 units. Mr. Karlos
B. Lopez, a mathematics graduate student, has
earned 32 units. Hence, Mr. Lopez still needs 10
units to earn a Master’s Degree.
4. All home renovations cost more the estimate.
The contractor estimated that my home
renovation will cost P200,000. Thus, my home
renovation will cost more than Php200,000.
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LOGIC PUZZLES
can be solved using deductive
reasoning and a chart is used to display
the given information in a visual
manner

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Example 2Solve a Logic Puzzle
Each of four neighbors, Ariel, Airah, Josephine,
and Jaime, has a different occupation (editor,
banker, chef, or dentist). From the following clues,
determine the occupation of each neighbor.
a. Airah gets home from work after the banker but
before the dentist.
b. Josephine, who is the last to get home from
work, is not the editor.
c. The dentist and Josephine leave for work at the
same time.
d. The banker lives next door to Jaime. 2
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Example : Logic Puzzle
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Ariel
Airah X1 X1
Josephine
Jaime

Clue 1
Airah gets home from work after the banker but before
the dentist.
From clue 1, Airah is neither the banker nor the dentist,
write X1 in the banker and dentist columns of Airah’s
row.
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Example : Logic Puzzle

Editor Banker Chef Dentist

Ariel
Airah X1 X1
Josephine X2 X2
Jaime
Clue 1
Airah gets home from work after the banker but before the dentist.
Clue 2
Josephine, who is the last to get home from work, is not the editor.

From Clue 2, Josephine is not the editor. Write X2 in the Editor column of Josephine.
From Clue 1, the banker is not the last to get home, and from clue 2, Josephine is
last to get home; therefore, Josephine is not the banker. Write X2 in the Banker
column of Josephine. 2
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Example : Logic Puzzle
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Ariel X3
Airah X1 X3 X1
Josephine X2 X2 √ X3
Jaime X3
Clue 3
The dentist and Josephine leave for work at the same
time.
From clue 3, Josephine is not the dentist. Write X3 in the
Dentist column of Josephine. Thus, Josephine is the CHEF.
Since Josephine is the chef, non of the three can be the
chef. Write X3 for these conditions. 2
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Example : Logic Puzzle
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Ariel X3 X3
Airah √ X1 X3 X1
Josephine X2 X2 √ X3
Jaime X3 X3

From the table, Airah is the EDITOR. Write check to

indicate that Airah is the editor. Also, neither Ariel nor
Jaime is the editor. Write X3 for these conditions.

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Example : Logic Puzzle
Editor Banker Chef Dentist
Ariel X3 √ X3 X4
Airah √ X1 X3 X1
Josephine X2 X2 √ X3
Jaime X3 X4 X3 √
Clue 4
The banker lives next door to Jaime.
From clue 4, Jaime is not the banker. Write X4 for this
condition. Hence, Ariel is the BANKER while Jaime is the
DENTIST.

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Solve the following CRYPTARITHMS. In each
problem, letters represent a single digit only.

a. (H E) 2 =SHE
b. WRONG
+ WRONG
RIGHT

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 A statement is a true statement
provided it is true in all cases.
If you can find one case in which
a statement is not true, called a
counterexample, then the
statement is a false statement.

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1. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

•EXAMPLE
  5: Find a Counterexample
Verify that each of the following
statements is a false statement by
finding a counterexample.
For all number :
a)
b)
c) 2
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Reference:

Aufmann, R. N., Lockwood, J. S., Nation, R.

D. & Clegg, D. K. (2013).
Mathematical Excursions,
Third Edition. CA: Brooks/Cole,
Cengage Learning.

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