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Dec, 2009
Description of a Problem
A problem is a situation that fulfills
the following conditions
WAJ3052
It involves a question that represents
a challenge for the individual
The question cannot be answered
immediately
The individual accepts the challenge
LITERASI NOMBOR
Minggu 3
Description of Problem Solving
Problem solving is a process by
which an individual
PROBLEM
POSING
UNDERSTANDING THE
PROBLEM
LOOKING BACK
DEVISING A PLAN
CARRYING OUT
THE PLAN
Heuristics refer to strategies or just
rules of thumb employed upon
readily accessible information to
perform problem solving in human
beings and machines
uses previously learned concepts,
facts and relationships,
along with various reasoning skills
and strategies,
to answer a question or questions
about a situation
Polyas 4-step heuristics
Heuristic Approach
Problem solving: Tower of Brahma
According to the legend of the Tower of Brahma,
there are 3 vertical diamond shafts in a temple in
the Indian city of Benares. At the time of creation,
the god Brahma placed 64 golden disks on one
shaft, in order of size with the largest at the
bottom. The temple priests are to transfer all 64
fragile disks from the original shaft to another,
one disk at a time. Because of their fragility, a
larger disk may never be placed on a smaller one, and there is
only one intermediate shaft where disks can be temporarily placed.
It is said that before the priests complete their task the temple will
crumble into dust and the world will vanish in a clap of thunder.
How long will it take to complete the task at the rate of
one step per second?
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Problem solving: Tower of Brahma
Strategies used:
Problem solving: Tower of Brahma
Solution
Solve a Simpler Problem
Identify a Subgoal
Act out the Problem
Look for a Pattern
Make a Table
264 1 s
=18,446,744,073,709,551,615 s
= 584,542,000,000 years
= 584 billion years
(current age of the Universe = 14 billion years)
The Allowance Challenge
Choice A
RM 1500
monthly
Handshake problem
10
How many handshakes are there
in a group of 20 people?
Choice B
1 cent on Day 1, double that
amount on Day 2, double that
amount on Day3, continuing
through the month.
Which would you choose?
The Allowance Challenge.xls
Handshake problem
11
Handshake problem
12
Strategies used:
Solve a Simpler Problem,
Act out the Problem
Make a Table
Look for a Pattern
Examine a Related Problem
Work Backward
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Newspaper Fold
13
Problem Solving Strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Ill give RM10 to the first person
who can fold this newspaper in
half, 10 times.
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Trial & error (teka & uji)
Construct a model (membina model)
Use a diagram (menggunakan gambarajah)
Simplify the problem (memudahkan masalah)
Look for a pattern (mencari pola)
Act out the problem (melakonkan masalah)
Investigate all possibilities (menyiasat semua kemungkinan)
Construct a table (membina jadual)
Look in a different way (melihat cara berlainan)
Identify a subgoal (mengenalpasti sub-matlamat)
Work backwards (kerja secara songsang)
Use algebra (menggunakan algebra)
Newspaper Fold.xls
Problem Solving Strategies
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Strategies are NOT algorithm
Flexibility in using strategies is the
KEY to solving any problem
Types of Problems
Problems that are essentially
puzzles, with no real world
relevance, but involve wide range
of maths
Example
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Non-routine
Application
Investigation
Strategy games
No single strategy for all problems
Some strategies are used more often
Strategies are often used in
combination
Different strategies may be used to
solve the same problem
Non-routine
Types of Problems
Types of Problems
17
Non-routine
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Another example
Place number 1 to 9 in the diagram such
as the total of each line is the same.
There are 40 vehicles and 100 wheels in
a parking lot. How many are cars, and
how many are motor cycles?
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Types of Problems
Application
Types of Problems
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Investigation
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Open ended problems enabling
exploration of math concepts
Example
Problems based on a realistic
situation
Example
Make a number of shapes with the same
perimeter on grid paper. How their areas
compare?
Choose any 2-digit number. Add the sum of its
digits and subtract this sum from the number.
Continue. What always happens? Why?
How much water is wasted by a dripping
tap in a year?
Types of Problems
Strategy games
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Games that player could win by
employing strategies
Example
Two players take turn to choose a
number from 1 to 6. The chosen
numbers are accumulated. The player
reaching first the sum of 50 wins.
What is the winning strategy?
Does it matter who starts first?
