POLYA’S FOUR-STEP IN

PROBLEM SOLVING
PROCESS
Systematic process for solving
problems
POLYA’S FOUR-STEP IN PROBLEM
SOLVING PROCESS

Look back

Carry out the Plan

Devise a Plan

Understand the Problem

 Understand the Problem
• State the problem in your own word
• Pinpoint exactly what is being asked
• Identify the unknowns
• Figure out what the problem tells you is important
• Identify any irrelevant information
 Devise a Plan
• Find the connection between the data and the
unknown.
• Try to think of a familiar problem having the
same or a similar unknown.
• Select an appropriate strategy to solve the
problem.
 Devise a Plan
• Look for a pattern
• Make a table, diagram or chart
• Write an equation Strategies
• Use guessing and checking
• Work backwards
 Carry out the Plan
Keep a record of your steps as you implement
your strategy from step 2.
Can you see clearly that the step is correct?
Can you prove that it is correct?
 Look back
•Check your work.
•Does the answer makes sense?
Example 1:
A man was making out his will. He had
P1,600,000 to divide among his three sons.
The oldest son was to get P200,000 more
that the middle son. The middle son was to
get P100,000 more than the youngest son.
How much did each son get?
 Understand the Problem

A man divides P1,600,000 to his three sons. The

oldest son was to get P200,000 more than the
middle son, the middle son was to get P100,000
more than the younger son.
We have to find the amount of money each of
them can get.
 Devise a Plan

We will make equations out from the given

facts.
 Carry out the Plan

We let:
𝑥 be the money for the youngest son
𝑥 + 𝑃100,000 be the money for the 2nd son
(𝑥 + 𝑃100,000) + 𝑃200,000 be the money for the 1st
son.
 Carry out the Plan

𝑃1,600,000 = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑃100,000 +
[ 𝑥 + 𝑃100,000 + 𝑃200,000]
= 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 + (𝑃400,000)
= 3𝑥 + 𝑃400,000
3𝑥 = 𝑃1,600,000 − 𝑃400,000
3𝑥 = 𝑃1,200,000
𝒙 = 𝑷𝟒𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎
 Carry out the Plan

Substitute the value of x; 𝑥 = 𝑷𝟒𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎

x + 𝑃100,000 = 𝑃400,000 + 𝑃100,000
= 𝑷𝟓𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎
𝑥 + 𝑃100,000 + 𝑃200,000
= 𝑃400,000 + 𝑃100,000 + 𝑃200,000
= 𝑷𝟕𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎
 Carry out the Plan

Therefore, each of them can get:

P𝟒𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 for the youngest son
P𝟓𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 for the middle son
P𝟕𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 for the oldest son
 Look back
The middle son was to get P100,000 more than the
youngest son, so,
P500,000– 𝑃400,000 = 𝑃100,000
The oldest son was to get P200,000 more than the middle
son, so,
P700,000 − 𝑃500,000 = 𝑃200,000

And, P400,000 + 𝑃500,000 + 𝑃700,000 = 𝑃1, 600,000

Example 2:
Alex is buying an ice-cream cone. There are six
different flavors of ice cream for her to choose
from: chocolate, strawberry, banana, mango, vanilla,
and double-dutch, but she can only fit two flavors
on her cone.What different choices does she has?
 Understand the Problem

There are six different flavors: chocolate,

strawberry, banana, mango, vanilla, and double-
dutch, but only two can fit on the cone.

We have to find the number of combinations with

two flavors Alex can choose from.
 Devise a Plan

We can use make a tree diagram strategy to find

out the number of combinations by connecting
the flavors.
 Carry out the Plan

Let:
C denotes the chocolate flavor
S denotes strawberry flavor
B denotes banana flavor
M denotes mango flavor
V denotes vanilla flavor, and
D denotes double-dutch flavor
 Carry out the Plan

S
B B M
C M S M B V
V V D
D D

Thus, there are 15

V combinations Alex
M V D can choose from.
D
 Look back

To check our work, we have to make sure

that we did not miss any flavor and no
repeating flavors in the combinations.
TIME…
Solve the following problems using Polya’s four steps in
problem solving.
1. Jose and Joshua left the campus at 4:00 pm. Jose is
riding a motorbike at the rate of 45 kph due north
and Joshua on a bus travels east at 50 kph. How far
are they from each other at 6:00 pm?
2. Tania is planning to buy a cage for her pet Miracle- a
puppy. She wants that the length of the cage is 10
more than the height, the width is twenty less than
twice the height, and the height measures 25 inches.
Find the volume of the cage (in cubic feet) to make
sure that there is enough space for Miracle to move
around.
Solve the following problems using Polya’s four steps in
problem solving.
3. Nadia is at home and Peter is at school which is 6
kilometers away from home. They start traveling towards
each other at the same time. Nadia is walking at 3.5
kilometers per hour and Peter is skateboarding at 6
kilometers per hour. When will they meet and how far
from home is their meeting place?