Polya's Method of Problem Solving

POLYA’S FOUR STEP PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD
WHO IS POLYA?
George Pólya
1887-1985
• Was a teacher and mathematician.
• Published a book in 1945: “How To Solve It”,
explaining how to become a better problem
solver.
WHAT IS A “PROBLEM”?
• A problem is a situation, condition, person, or thing

that needs attention and needs to be dealt with or
solved.
• Not solving a problem leads to undesirable

consequences.
“The solution to any problem lies in

asking the right questions”
Polya’s four step method: A systematic way to
answer/attack questions
POLYA’S FOUR STEPS
Polya’s strategy to answer questions is given by the following

four steps:
1 Understand the question
2 Make a plan
3 Carry out the plan
4 Look back & Review

1 Understand the question
This seems so obvious that it is often ignored!
Ask yourself the following questions

❖ What are you asked to find or show?
❖ Can you restate the question in your own words?
❖ What part/information of the question is (un)important?
❖ Can you think of a picture or a diagram that might help you
understand the question?
❖ Is there enough information to enable you to find a solution?
❖ Do you understand all the words used in stating the question?
❖ Do you need to ask a question to get the answer?
❖ Why might this problem be difficult/easy?
2 Make a plan
You must start somewhere so try something. How are you

going to attack the question?
Possible Strategies
❖Draw pictures or diagrams.

❖Eliminate possibilities
❖Be systematic.
❖Solve a simpler version of the problem & Consider special cases
❖Guess and check. Trial and error. Guess and test.
❖Look for a pattern or patterns.
❖Make a list / Write down keywords.
This is the step where you carry out the steps of your plan.
Answering the question
❖ Try to use the strategy chosen in step 2.

❖ If this strategy does not work, try another one.
Finally, in this last step you look back reviewing and checking
your results.
Ask yourself the following questions

❖ Did you answer the question? Is your result reasonable?
❖ What would change if you change the question a bit?
❖ Is there a better/more interesting version of the question?
❖ Is there another way of doing the problem which may be simpler?
❖ Can the question or method be generalized to be useful for future problems?
EXAMPLE 1:
Let us try to use Polya’s method to solve the following problem:

Problem:
A basketball team won two out of their last four games, in how
many different orders could they have two wins and two losses
In four games?
Solution:
Understand There are many different orders. The team may have won
the Problem the first two straight games (WWLL). Or maybe they lost
the first two games and won the second two games
(LLWW). Of course, there are other possibilities.
Devise a plan Make an organize list of all possible orders.

Carry out the
WWLL WLWL WLLW LWWL LWLW LLWW
plan
Review the The list has no duplicates and the list considers all
solution possibilities. There are six orders in which the basketball
team win exactly two out of four games.
EXAMPLE 2:
Problem:
The product of the ages, in years, of the three teenagers is 4590.
None of the teens are the same age. What are the ages of the
teenagers?
Solution
Understand We need to determine three distinct counting numbers,

the Problem from 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. That have a product of
4590.
Devise a plan Trial and error. Represent the ages by x, y, and z.

So, 𝑥𝑦𝑧 = 4590. Try to solve by trial and error.
Carry out the (15)(16)(18) = 4320 Not the answer

plan
(15)(16)(19) = 4560 Not the answer
(15)(17)(18) = 4590 Yes, the correct product
Review the 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 (15)(17)(18) = 4590 and each of the
solution ages represent the ages of the teenager.
Therefore the solution is correct.
EXAMPLE 3:
Problem:
Make and test a conjecture about the sign of the product of any
three negative integers.
Understand We need to identify and multiply any three negative

the Problem integers.
Devise a plan Trial and error. Try at least 3 negative integers.
Carry out the −5 −1 −10 = −50 Hence, the sign of the product of
plan −8 −2 −4 = −64 any three negative integers
is negative.
−7 −3 −6 = −126
Review the 1𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 − 𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠,
solution 2𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 − 𝑚 −𝑛 −𝑚 −𝑟 = −𝑛𝑚𝑟
3𝑟𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 − 𝑟
EXAMPLE 4:
Problem:
Determine the digit 100 places to the right of the decimal point in
7
the decimal representation of .
27
Solution:
7
Understand We need to express the fraction
27
as decimaland
the Problem look for a pattern, that will enable us to determine
the digit 100 places to the right.
Devise a plan Look for a pattern, dividing 27 by 7 using calculator or long
division. The result shall be 0.259259259…
Carry out the It is observe that every 3rd digit is 9, and every 9 is
plan followed by a 2. Hence, the 99th digit is 9, so it must be
followed by a 2. So the 100th digit is 2.
Review the
If the decimal placement of a number is divisible by 3, it
solution is a 9, it must be always be followed by a 2.
EXAMPLE 4:
Problem:
One number is 7 more than another. Twice the larger is equal to
four times the smaller decreased by 2. Find the numbers.
Solution:
Understand We are looking for 2 numbers, wherein one is 7 more than
the Problem Another. Twice the larger is equal to four times the smaller
decreased by 2.
Devise a plan 𝑥 = 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟

𝑥 + 7 = 𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟
𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 2 𝑥 + 7 = 4𝑥 − 2
Carry out the 2 𝑥 + 7 = 4𝑥 − 2
plan 𝑥 = 8 (𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟)
2𝑥 + 14 = 4𝑥 − 2
2𝑥 − 4𝑥 = −2 − 14 𝑥 = 8 + 7 (𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟)
−2𝑥 = −16
Review the
solution 15 is 7 more than 8. Twice 15 is 30, and 30 is four times
the smaller less 2.
Review
1 Understand the problem
2 Make a plan
• Try to think about problems and come up with related questions.

• How do the steps 1,2,3 and 4 look like for these questions?
Assignment: Problems of “new technology”
In the assignment you should think about problems
related to new technology (of now or the future).
new technology
(some examples)
TikTok
Image & speech recognition Social media
…
Artifical intelligence LINE Instagram
Self driving cars …
Time travel Quantum computing
Virtual reality
Scientific breakthroughs
…. and so on … CRISPR
• You are not restricted to the above topics. Choose whatever you are interested in!
• When introducing yourself to your group members give one example of ”new
technology” you are personally interested in.
Assignment
Workshop Day 1, 21st August 2021
1) Decide together with your group members on a topic related to „new technology“.
(This „new technology“ does not need to exist now. If you want, you can be creative
and come up with some future technology)
2) Explain the new technology you choose in 1) and describe its positive aspects.
3) Formulate problems that might occur due to the use of the new technology you
choose in 1).
“The solution to any problem lies in asking the right questions”

4) Come up with a question related to the problem(s) in 3) and answer it by using
Polya’s four step problem solving method.
Create a presentation where you present your results of 1) - 4) .

Assignment
Workshop Day 1, 21st August 2021
Recall Polya’s four step problem solving method: ❖ What are you asked to find or show?
❖ Can you restate the question in your own words?
❖ What part/information of the question is (un)important?
❖ Is there enough information to enable you to find a solution?
1 Understand the question ❖

❖
Do you understand all the words used in stating the question?
Do you need to ask a question to get the answer?
❖ Why might this question be difficult/easy?
❖ Draw pictures or diagrams.

❖ Eliminate possibilities.
❖ Be systematic.
2 Make a plan ❖
❖
Solve a simpler version of the question & Consider special cases.
Guess and check. Trial and error. Guess and test.
❖ Look for a pattern or patterns.
❖ Make a list / Write down keywords.
3 Carry out the plan ❖

❖
Try to use the strategy chosen in step 2.
If this strategy does not work, try another one.
❖ Did you answer the question? Is your result reasonable?

❖ What would change if you change the question a bit?
❖ Is there a better/more interesting version of the question?
4 Look back & Review ❖
❖
Is there another way of answering the question, which may be simpler?
Can the question or method be generalized to be useful for future questions?

Polya's Method of Problem Solving

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Polya's Method of Problem Solving

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Polya's Method of Problem Solving

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

POLYA’S FOUR STEP PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD

• A problem is a situation, condition, person, or thing

• Not solving a problem leads to undesirable

“The solution to any problem lies in

Polya’s strategy to answer questions is given by the following

1 Understand the question

3 Carry out the plan

4 Look back & Review

This seems so obvious that it is often ignored!

Ask yourself the following questions

You must start somewhere so try something. How are you

❖Draw pictures or diagrams.

Answering the question

❖ Try to use the strategy chosen in step 2.

Ask yourself the following questions

Let us try to use Polya’s method to solve the following problem:

Devise a plan Make an organize list of all possible orders.

Understand We need to determine three distinct counting numbers,

Devise a plan Trial and error. Represent the ages by x, y, and z.

Carry out the (15)(16)(18) = 4320 Not the answer

Understand We need to identify and multiply any three negative

Devise a plan 𝑥 = 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟

1 Understand the problem

3 Carry out the plan

4 Look back & Review

• Try to think about problems and come up with related questions.

“The solution to any problem lies in asking the right questions”

Create a presentation where you present your results of 1) - 4) .

1 Understand the question ❖

❖ Draw pictures or diagrams.

3 Carry out the plan ❖

❖ Did you answer the question? Is your result reasonable?

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.