Four Basic Problem-Solving Steps
A FOUR-STEP PROCESS
They are based on the problem-solving steps
- UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
* Can you state the problem in your own words?
* What are you trying to find or do?
* What are the unknowns?
* What information do you obtain from the problem?
* What information, if any, is missing or not needed?
- DEVISING A PLAN The following list of strategies, although not exhaustive, is very useful.
* Look for a pattern.
* Examine related problems, and determine if the same technique can be applied.
* Examine a simpler or special case of the problem to gain insight into the solution of the original problem.
* Make a table.
* Make a diagram.
* Write an equation.
* Use guess and check.
* Work backward.
* Identify a subgoal.
- CARRYING OUT THE PLAN
* Implement the strategy or strategies in step 2, and perform any necessary actions or computations. * Check each step of the plan as you proceed. This may be intuitive checking or a formal proof of each step.
* Keep an accurate record of your work.
- LOOKING BACK
* Check the results in the original problem. (In some cases this will require a proof.)
* Interpret the solution in terms of the original problem. Does your answer make sense? Is it reasonable?
* Determine whether there is another method of finding the solution.
* If possible, determine other related or more general problems for which the techniques will work.