LESSON 1

Mathematics in the Real World

Overview
As a rational creature, we tend to identify and follow patterns, whether consciously or
subconsciously. Recognizing patterns feels natural, like our brain is hair wired to recognize
them. Early humans recognized the repeating interval of day and night, the cycle of the
moon, the rising and falling of tides, and the changing of the seasons. Awareness of these
patterns allowed humans to survive. In a similar fashion, many flora and fauna also follow
certain patterns such as the arrangement of leaves and stems in a plant, the shape of a
snowflake, the flower's petals, or even the shape of a snail's shell. In this module, we will be
looking at patterns and regularities in the world, and how mathematics comes into play, both
nature and in human endeavors.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, YOU CAN:
 identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world;
 articulate the importance of mathematics in one life;
 express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor; and,
 argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed, represented and
used.

I. Learning Essentials
References
Pdfs
(1) Nature's Numbers by Ian Stewart
(2) Patterns in Nature by Khandelwal & Sahni
(3) Mathematics in the Modern World (Phil. Edition) by Richard Aufmann, et.al
Online
(1) https://vimeo.com/9953368

1. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

References:
PDF
o Nature’s Numbers by Ian Stewart
o Patterns in Nature by Richie Khandelwal & Sahil Sahni

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 Task 1!
Directions: Read the Patterns in Nature PDF by Khandelwal & Sahni then write an
SQ3R (Summary, Factual and Open-ended Questions, Reaction, Reflection,
Recreation).

Summary:

3 Factual Questions (with Answers):

3 Open-Ended Questions (with Answers):

Read and find the answers to your question:

Reflection:

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Recreation:

We live in a universe of full patterns. Every night the stars move in circles across the
sky. The seasons cycle at yearly intervals. No two snowflakes are ever exactly the same, but
they all have six-fold symmetry. Tigers and zebras are covered in patterns of stripes, leopards
and hyenas are covered in patterns of spots. Intricate trains of waves march across the
oceans; very similar trains of sand dunes march across the desert. Colored arcs of light adorn
the sky in the form of rainbows, and a bright circular halo sometimes surrounds the moon on
winter nights. Spherical drops of water fall from clouds. Human mind and culture have
developed a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying, and exploiting patterns.
We call it mathematics. By using mathematics to organize and systematize our ideas about
patterns, we have discovered a great secret: nature's patterns are not just there to be admired,
they are vital clues to the rules that govern natural processes. (You can read more at Nature’s
Numbers.pdf by Ian Stewart)

II. Checking for Understanding

Directions: List 10 things, places, or pictures you can see in your home and describe the
patterns it exhibits. Attach your answers at the back of this page for the listed things. Take a
picture of it then upload it at Google Classroom.

2. Mathematics for our world

Reference:
Mathematics in the Modern World 13th & Phil Edition Textbook
Mathematics for Organization

A lot of events happen around us. In the blink of an eye, several children have already
been born, liters of water have been consumed, or thousands of tweets have been posted. For
us to make sense of all available information, we need mathematical tools to help us make
sound analysis and better decisions. For instance, a particular store can gather data on the
shopping habits of its customers and make necessary adjustments to help drive sales.
Scientists can plot bird migration routes to help conserve endangered animal populations.
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Social media analysts can crunch all online postings using software to gauge the netizens'
sentiments on particular issues or personalities.

Mathematics for Prediction

It is sometimes said that history repeat itself. As much as we can use mathematical
models using existing data to generate analysis and interpretations, we can also use them to
make predictions. Applying the concept of probability, experts can. Calculate the chance of
an event occurring. The weather is a prime example. Based on historical patterns,
meteorologists can make forecasts to help us prepare for our day to day activities. They can
also warn us of weather disturbances that can affect our activities for weeks or months.
Astronomers also use patterns to predict the occurrence of meteor showers or eclipses. In
2017, announcements were made about heavenly phenomena such as the Draconoid Meteor
Shower and The great American Eclipse. They were able to tell when these phenomena
would occur and where would be the best places to view them.

Mathematics for Control

We have demonstrated by means of examples around us that patterns are definitely

present in the universe. There seems to be an underlying mathematical structure in the way
that natural objects and phenomenon behave. While photographers could capture a single
moment through a snapshot, videographers could record events as they unfold. Painters and
sculptors could create masterpieces in interpreting their surroundings, poets could use
beautiful words to describe an object, and musicians could capture and reproduce sounds that
they hear. These observations of nature, as we as their interactions and relationships, could
be more elegantly described by means of mathematical equations. As stated by astrophysicist
Brian Greene, "With a few symbols on a page, you can describe a wealth of physical
phenomena".

Though the use of mathematics, man is also able to exert control over himself and the
effect of nature. The threat of climate change and global warming has been the subject of
much debate over the years. It is believed that unless man changes his behavior, patterns are
said to indicate that sea levels could rise to catastrophic levels as the polar caps melt due to
the increase in global temperatures. To ensure that greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere are kept at levels that would not interfere with the climate change, the United
Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCC) was signed in 1992 and has
197 parties as of December 2015.

Mathematics is Indispensable

How is it possible that mathematics, a product of human thought

that is independent of experience,
fits so excellently the objects of reality?
-Albert Einstein
In this module, it was highlighted how mathematics plays a huge role in the
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underpinnings of our world. We have seen it in living creatures and natural phenomena. We
have also looked at examples of how mathematical concepts could be applied. Whether you
are on your way to becoming a doctor, an engineer, an entrepreneur, or a chef, a knowledge
of mathematics will be helpful. At the most basic level, logical reasoning and critical
thinking are crucial skills that are needed in any endeavor. As such, the study of mathematics
should be embraced as it paves the way for more educated decisions and in a way plant,
brings us closer to understanding the natural world.

III. Analysis

Directions: Answer the following questions. Write your answer in a clean letter- sized
bond paper.
1. What is Mathematics to you as a person? As a future professional?
Mathematics is one of the important knowledge in our lives. It helps us in dealing with
money, telling time, knowing the temperature at the moment, etc. We use the rules of
mathematics always even without noticing it.

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 2. Why is it necessary to discuss the patterns and regularities in the natural world?

3. How does mathematics help us identity and describe the patterns in our world?

4. Discuss briefly the quotation given above by Albert Einstein, “ How is it possible that
mathematics, a product of human thought that is independent of experience, fits so
excellently the objects of reality”.

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 IV. Integration

TO BE FILLED OUT BY EDUCATION STUDENT ONLY!

Top Ten List
Directions: Write Ten things that struck you the most about how Mathematics helps your
community.

Opinion Chart
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Directions: List your opinions about the positive contribution of Mathematics as a human
endeavor in the left column of a T-chart, and support your opinions in the right column.
OPINION CHART
Instruction: List your opinions about the positive contribution of Mathematics as a human
endeavor in the left column of a T-chart, and support your opinions in the right column.

OPINION SUPPORTING DETAILS

Helps us tell time

Helps us with our finances

Helps us by making us a better cook

Extended Classroom Activity

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View the following link: https://vimeo.com/9953368, then do the following activity after
you watch the video.
Independent Practice
Twitter Post
Directions: Cite one natural event you encounter in your everyday life that has a pattern. Just
like using Twitter, one has to identify and describe the pattern and how Fibonacci sequence is
present in it using only 140 characters.

V. Independent Practice

TO BE FILLED OUT BY EDUCATION’S STUDENT ONLY!

INTRIGUE JOURNAL
Directions: Write an interesting, controversial, or resonant claim about nature of
Mathematics. This can be about what Mathematics is all about, how it can be expressed,
represented or what are its uses in the real world. Support your claim by making a stand
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whether you go for or against it and provide evidences to strengthen it. Do not exceed in the
given line. Rubrics will be posted in our Google Classroom.

Dear Journal,

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LESSON 2:
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS
Overview

This module will introduce you to some of the special language that is a foundation
for much mathematical thought, from the nature of mathematical language to the four basic
concepts and the elementary logic of mathematics. Think of this module like the exercises
you would do before an important sporting event. Its goal is to warm up your mental muscles
so that you can do your best in the next topics of mathematics in the modern world.

Learning objectives
At the end of the session, YOU CAN:
1. discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of mathematics;
2. perform operations on mathematics expressions correctly; and,
3. acknowledge that mathematics is a useful language.

I. Learning Essentials

1. Nature of Mathematical Language

References:
PDFs
(1) Jamison , R.E. (2000). Learning the language of Mathematics. Language and Learning
across the Disciplines, 4(1), 45-54.
(2) Fisher, C.B. The Language of Mathematics. One Mathematical Cat, Please
(3) Fisher, C.B. The language and Grammar of Mathematics.
(4) Chapter 5: Operations on Algebraic Expression. Retrieved from:
https://www.gardencity.k12.ny.us/site/handlers/filedownlod.ashx%3Fmoduleinstanceid
%3D..

Learning the Language of Mathematics

Reference: Robert E. Jamison Clemson University
Just as everybody must strive to learn language and writing
before he can use them freely for expression of his thoughts,
here too there is only one way to escape the weight of formulas.
It is to acquire such power over the tool that,
unhampered by formal technique, one can turn to the true problems.
-Hermann Weyl [4]
This paper is about the use of language as a tool for teaching mathematical concepts.
But I have since found that language can be a major pedagogical tool. Once students
understand HOW things are said, they can better understand WHAT is being said, and only
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then do they have a chance to know WHY it is said.

Regrettably, many people see mathematics only as a collection of arcane rules for
manipulating bizarre symbols something far removed from speech and writing. Probably this
results from the fact that most elementary mathematics courses arithmetic in elementary
school, algebra and trigonometry in high school, and calculus in college are procedural
courses focusing on techniques for working with numbers, symbols, and equations.

Just as procedural mathematics courses tend to focus on plug and chug with an
emphasis on symbolic manipulation, so conceptual mathematics courses focus on proof and
argument with an emphasis on correct, clear, and concise expression of ideas

Fragmented examples are presented in lectures and elementary texts. Over a number
of years, talented students may finally unconsciously piece it all together and go on to
graduate school. But the majority of students give up in despair and conclude that
mathematics is just mystical gibberish

One should NOT aim at being possible to understand,

but at being IMPOSSIBLE to misunderstand
–Quintilian, circa 100 AD.

The use of language in mathematics differs from the language of ordinary speech in
three important ways. First it is non temporal, there is no past, present, or future in
mathematics. Also, mathematical language is devoid of emotional content, the absence of
emotion from formal mathematical discourse or its introduction in informal discourse
presents no difficulty for students. The third feature is its precision. Ordinary speech is full
of ambiguities, innuendoes, hidden agendas, and unspoken cultural assumptions.

As such it is about teaching and learning the tool of language in mathematics and not
about grappling with the deeper problems such as the discovery of new mathematics or the
heuristic exposition of complex mathematical ideas or the emotional experience of doing
mathematics.

Mathematics cannot be learned without being understood it is not a matter of formulae

being committed to memory but of acquiring a capacity for systematic thought.
- Peter Hilton
A definition is a concise statement of the basic properties of an object or concept
which unambiguously identify that object or concept. The italicized words give the essential
characteristics of a good definition. It should be concise and not ramble on with extraneous
or unnecessary information. It should involve basic properties, ideally those that are simply
stated and have immediate intuitive appeal. It should not involve properties that require
extensive derivation or are hard to work with. In order to be complete, a definition must
describe exactly the thing being defined nothing more, and nothing less.

1. A rectangle is a quadrilateral all four of whose angles are right angles.

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 2. A rectangle is a parallelogram in which the diagonals have the same length and all
the angles are right angles. It can be inscribed in a circle and its area is given by the
product of two adjacent sides.
3. A rectangle is a parallelogram whose diagonals have equal lengths.
4. A rectangle is a quadrilateral with right angles.
5. rectangle: has right angles.

Things to ponder: Among the 5 definitions given above, which is the Good, Bad, Poor and
Unacceptable Definition? Write them in an ascending order respectively on a given table
below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

In Aristotles theory of definition, every concept is defined as a subclass of a more

general concept. This general concept is called the genus proximum. Each special subclass
of the genus proximum is characterized by special features called the differentiae specificae.
[1, p. 135] We will refer to these simply as the genus and species.

In each example above, the italicized word is the genus. In the case of rectangle, the
genus is the class of quadrilaterals and the species is the requirement that all angles be right
angles. One of the greatest difficulties students experience with new concepts is that they fail
to understand exactly what the genus is to which the concept applies. The unacceptable
definition above skirts this issue by avoiding the genus altogether. To illustrate the
importance of genus, note that we cannot say:

These two points are parallel. This triangle is parallel. The function f(x) = 3x + 1 is
parallel. 35 is a parallel number.

The term parallel has as its genus the class of pairs of lines (or more generally, pairs
of curves). Any attempt to apply the word parallel to other kinds of objects, like pairs of
points, triangles, functions, or numbers, results not in a wrong statement but in nonsense.
Note that the nonsense is not grammatical, but rhetorical. The four statements above are all
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perfectly grammatical English sentences, but none of them makes sense because of the
inappropriate genus. Students only rarely make nonsensical statements like the four above
because the genus is on a sufficiently concrete level that confusion is unlikely. However,
when several layers of abstraction are superimposed, as is common in modern mathematics,
nonsense statements become more common.

Guidelines for Definitions in Good Form:

1. A definition MUST be written as a complete, grammatically correct English

sentence.
2. A definition MUST be an if and only if statement.
3. A definition MUST have a clearly stated genus and a clearly stated species.
4. The quantifiers in a good definition MUST be explicitly and clearly stated.
5. The term being defined MUST be underlined.

In a society in which information is passed in 60 second sound bites and reasoning

limited to monosyllabic simple sentences, careful, analytic thinking is in danger of
extinction. And this is a grave danger in a democratic society beset by a host of very
complex moral and social problems. When geometry passed from the pragmatic,
monarchical Egyptian surveyors to the democratic Greek philosophers nearly three millennia
ago, its purpose changed. True, geometry (and more generally mathematics) has been many
practical applications. But that is not why geometry has retained a universal place in the
curriculum. It has been taught to teach reasoning and intellectual discipline. This why Plato
placed his famous motto over the academy door. That is why Abraham Lincoln studied
Euclid. And that remains my main goal in teaching.

2. Language of Mathematics
Reference: Carol B. Fisher,
MATHEMATICS: expressions versus sentences
The mathematical analogue of a ‘noun’ will be called an expression. Thus, an
expression is a name given to a mathematical object of interest. Whereas in English we need
to talk about people, places, and things, we’ll see that mathematics has much different
‘objects of interest’. The mathematical analogue of a ‘sentence’ will also be called a
sentence. A mathematical sentence, just as an English sentence, must state a complete
thought. The table below summarizes the analogy. (Don’t worry for the moment about the
truth of sentences; this will be addressed later.)

Mathematical expressions vs. Mathematical Symbols

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GEC: MATMOD – TED 15
  Recall that the definition of variable and constant,
A variable is a symbol (usually a letter) that stands for a value that may vary.
A constant is also a symbol (which is actually a number). And the operations we use,
+, -, x, ÷, etc. are also symbols.
And when we combine constant and variables in a valid way, using operations such
as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, functions, set, relation and binary operation
(which to be discussed later on), the resulting combination of these mathematical symbols is
called the mathematical expressions. (https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Pre-
Algebra/Book
%3A_Prealgebra_(Arnold)/03%3A_The_Fundamentals_of_Algebra/3.01%3A_Mathematical
_Expressions )

So, mathematical expression is made up of different mathematical symbols.

II. Checking for Understanding

Direction: Answer the following questions.
1. What are characteristics of mathematical language? What are the conventions in
mathematical language?

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 2. Fill up the Venn diagram below with the similarities (at the center of the two circles)
and differences (at the separated region of the circles) of mathematical expressions
and mathematical symbols. Then illustrate some examples for each.

3. Operations on Algebraic Expression

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GEC: MATMOD – TED 18
Task 1!
Directions: Perform the following operations on mathematical expressions and identify the
mathematical symbols there are.

1.) (7 x 2+ 5 y −3 ¿ - (3 x 2−2 x +5 y−3 ¿

2.) 5x ( x 2−x ¿+ 2(x+ 5 y −3)−19

FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS:

a. SETS (the basic ingredient of algebra)

A SET is a well-defined collection of objects, real or imagined.

Examples: Collection of all cities in the Philippines; Collection of good character actresses in

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Philippine movies; Collection of beautiful flowers in the Botanical Garden; Collection of all
small positive numbers; and, Collection of all letters in the Filipino alphabet

Task 2!
Enumerate 5 example and non-example of set can be seen in your house. Screenshot your
answer then Present it in our Google classroom.

WHY WELL-DEFINED?
For us to be able to determine/ describe the elements of a set without
confusion!

Task 3!
For us to be able to determine whether a given object belongs to the set or not.

Enumerate the methods for describing and writing a set. Present your answer in our
Google classroom.

EMPTY SET: There are sets that are so special they are given specific names. One of
them is the empty set, denoted by {} or ∅. The empty set has no element.
Examples are:
1. The set of snakes that can fly.
2. The set of dogs that can talk.
Question: Is this an empty set? {∅} . Answer: ___________

UNIVERSAL SET: Another special set is the universal set denoted by U. The universal set
is a set that contains all objects under consideration.

QUESTIONS : Can U={1,2,3,4,5} be a universal set of

1. {1,2,3}? Answer: _______
2. {1,2,3,4,5}? Answer: _______
3. {1,2,3,4,5,6}? Answer: _________

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 b. FUNCTIONS
In everyday life, many quantities depend on one or more changing variables. Plant
growth depends on sunlight and rainfall, speed depends on distance travelled and time taken,
test marks depend on attitude, listening in lectures, and doing tutorials (among many other
variables). Recall that function is a rule that relates how one quantity depends on other
quantities. We have 2 quantities (called variables) and we observe there is a relationship
between them. If we find that for every value of the first variable there is only one value of
the second variable, then we say,
“the second variable is a function of the first variable.”
The first variable is the independent variable (usually written as x), and the second variable is
the dependent variable (usually written as y).

c. RELATIONS
We are very familiar with this word; it is somewhat similar to the word we usually
used in our common language. Relation happens when the two things are related by the given
condition. Me and Bryan are related because we’re siblings. Mathematically,

Let A and B be sets. A relation R from A to B is a subset of A x B. Given an ordered

pair (x,y) in A x B, x is related to y by R, written x R y, if and only if, (x,y) is in R. The set A
is called the domain of R and the set of B is called its co-domain.

d. BINARY OPERATION
Mathematical operations such as addition and multiplication performed on two
elements of a set to derive a third elements. For example: 1 + 1 = 2, set of A {1,2,3} added to
the set of B {3,4,5} equals {1,2,3,4,5}, Mango juice was the product of mixing mango juice
powder and appropriate amount of cold water, etc.

ELEMENTARY LOGIC

 Logical connectives
A logical connective is the mathematical equivalent of a conjunction - that is, a word
(or symbol) that joins two sentences to produce a new one. We have already discussed an
example, the word “and” in its sentence-linking meaning, which is sometimes written by the

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symbol∧, particularly in more formal or abstract mathematical discourse. If P and Q are
statements (note here the mathematical habit of representing not just numbers but any objects
whatsoever by single letters) then P ∧Q is the statement that is true if and only if both P and
Q are true. Another connective is the word “or”, a word that has a more restrictive meaning
to mathematicians than It does to normal speakers of the English language. The mathematical
use is illustrated by the tiresome joke of responding, “Yes please,” to a question such as,
“Would you like your coffee with or without sugar?” The symbol for “or”, if one wishes to
use a symbol, is ∨, and the statement P ∨Q is true if and only if P is true or Q is true, which is
taken to include the case when they are both true. Thus, “or”, for mathematicians, is the so-
called inclusive version of the word. A third important connective is “implies”, which is
usually written ⇒. The statement P ⇒ Q means, roughly speaking, that Q is a consequence of
P, and is sometimes read as “if P then Q”, but, as with “or”, this does not mean quite what it
would in English. To get a feel for the difference, consider an even worse piece of
mathematical pedantry, contained in the following exchange during a mathematics lecture.

Lecturer: Would you please raise your hand if you have solved that difficult problem
I mentioned in the last lecture? [To a student in the front row:] Ah, well done. And perhaps
you would like to tell us the solution.

Student: But I haven’t solved it.

Lecturer: In that case why did you put your hand up?

Student: I just felt like it.

Lecturer: So you wanted to make me think you had solved the problem when in fact
you hadn’t?

Student: Not at all. You asked us to raise our hands if we had solved the problem.
You gave no instructions about what to do if we hadn’t.

The sentence P ⇒ Q is considered to be true under all circumstances except one: it is

not true if P is true and Q is false. This is the definition of “implies”. It can be confusing
because in English the word “implies” suggests some sort of connection between P and Q,
that P in some way causes Q or is at least relevant to it. If P causes Q then certainly P cannot
be true without Q being true, but all a mathematician cares about is this logical consequence
and not whether there is any reason for it. Thus, if you want to prove that P ⇒ Q, all you
have to do is rule out the possibility that P could be true and Q false at the same time. To give
an example: if n is a positive integer, then the statement, “n is a perfect square with final digit
7” implies the statement, “n is a prime number”, not because there is any connection between
the two but because no perfect square ends in a 7. Of course, implications of this kind are less
interesting mathematically than more genuine-seeming ones, but the reward for accepting
them is that, once again, one avoids being confused by some of the ambiguities and subtle
nuances of ordinary language.

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  Quantifiers

Yet another ambiguity in the English language is exploited by the following old joke
that suggests that our priorities need radically rethinking.

(1) Nothing is better than lifelong happiness.

(2) But a cheese sandwich is better than nothing.
(3) Therefore, a cheese sandwich is better than lifelong happiness.

Let us try to be precise about how this play on words works (a good way to ruin any
joke, but not a tragedy in this case).
It hinges on the word “nothing”, which is used in two different ways. The first
sentence means, “There is no single thing that is better than lifelong happiness,” whereas the
second means, “It is better to have a cheese sandwich than to have nothing at all.” In other
words, in the second sentence, “nothing” stands for what one might call the null option, the
option of having nothing, whereas in the first it doesn’t (to have nothing is not better than to
have lifelong happiness). Words like “all”, “some”, “any”, “every”, “nothing” are called
quantifiers, and in the English language they are highly prone to this kind of ambiguity.
Mathematicians therefore make do with just two quantifiers, and the rules for their
use are much stricter. They tend to come at the beginning of sentences, and can be read as
“for all” (or “for every”) and “there exists” (or “for some”).
A rewriting of sentence (1) that renders it unambiguous (and much less like a real
English sentence) is (1)’ For all x, lifelong happiness is better than x. The second sentence
cannot be rewritten in these terms because the word “nothing” is not playing the role of a
quantifier. (Its nearest mathematical equivalent is something like the empty set, that is, the set
with no elements.) Armed with “for all” and “there exists”, we can be clear about the
difference between the beginnings of the following sentences.

(4) Everybody likes at least one drink, and that drink is water.

(5) Everybody likes at least one drink; I myself go for red wine.

The first sentence makes the point (not necessarily correctly) that there is one drink
that everybody likes, whereas the second claims merely that we all have something we like to
drink, even if that something varies from person to person. The precise formulations that
capture the difference are as follows.

(4)’ There exists a drink D such that, for every person P, P likes D.

(5)’ For every person P there exists a drink D such that P likes D.

This illustrates an important general principle: if you take a sentence that begins “for
every x there exists y such that ...” and interchange the two parts so that it now begins “there
exists y such that, for every x, ...”, then you obtain a much stronger statement, since y is no

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longer allowed to depend on x. If the second statement is still true that is, if you really can
choose a y that works independently of x - then the first statement is said to hold uniformly.
The symbols ∀ and ∃ are often used for “for all” and “there exists”. This allows us to write
quite complicated mathematical sentences in a highly symbolic form if we want to.

 Negation

The basic idea of negation in mathematics is very simple: there is a symbol, ¬,

which means “not”, and if P is a mathematical statement, then ¬P stands for the statement
that is true if and only if P is not true. However, this is another example of a word that has a
slightly more restricted meaning to mathematicians than it has in ordinary speech.

To illustrate this phenomenon once again, let us take A to be a set of positive integers
and ask ourselves what the negation is of the sentence, “Every number in the set A is odd.”?
Many people when asked this question will suggest, “Every number in the set A is even.”
However, this is wrong: if one thinks carefully about what exactly would have to happen for
the first sentence to be false, one realizes that all that is needed is that at least one number in
A should be even.

III. Analysis

INVENT THE QUIZ

Directions: Write ten Higher-Order text questions about any of Mathematics as a language,
the convention in the Mathematical language, and similarities and differences
between Mathematical sentence and a Mathematical expression. Pick two and
answer one of them in half a page.

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 IV. Integration

TO BE FILLED OUT BY EDUCATION STUDENT ONLY!

Directions: Write the importance and purpose of the basic concepts and Operations in higher

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Mathematics in your daily life in a one paragraph only.
Terms Real-Life Example
Quantifiers
Is a logical symbol which makes an
assertion about the set of values which make
one or more formulas true.

Negation
It is the opposite of a given
mathematical statement, negating a statement.

Connectives
It is a formal language used in denoting
a logical operation by means of which
statement can be obtained from given
statements.

Sets
A set is a collection or group of well-defined
and well-distinguished objects that follow a
certain rule

Functions
A function f is a rule that assigns to each
element x in a set A exactly one element,
called f(x), in a set B.

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Relations
A set of ordered pairs of mathematical
quantities.

Binary Operations
Some mathematical operations such as
addition and multiplication performed on two
elements of a set to derive a third elements.

V. Independent Practice

TO BE FILLED OUT BY EDUCATION STUDENT ONLY!

Directions: The class will be divided into 2 groups. All member of group 1 will create
their OWN graphic organizer about the relationship of mathematical language to any other
languages and the student on group 2 will create their OWN graphic organizer about the nature of
Mathematics as a language. Remember to observe authenticity in your output. Post your
output in our Messenger GC on the scheduled deadline to be posted there.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 27

Lesson 3: Problem Solving and Reasoning
Overview
Most occupations require good problem-solving skills. For instance, architects and
engineers must solve many complicated problems as they design and construct modern
buildings that are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and that meet stringent safety
requirements. Teacher must think critically with valid reasoning in order to provide quality
education to the learner. Men in uniform require strong sense of reasoning and a best set of
problem-solving skills to crack easily some impossible cases and catch the suspect. Two goal
of this module are to help you become a problem solver and to demonstrate that problem
solving can be an enjoyable.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, YOU CAN:
1. apply different types of reasoning to justify statements and arguments made
about mathematics and mathematical concept;
2. write clear and logical proof;
3. solve problems involving patterns and recreational problems following Polya’s
4 steps; and,
4. express appreciation on problem solving and reasoning as pillar in making
sound decisions in life.

References:
(1) Intuition, Proof & Certainty: https://www.scribd.com/document/388414571/Intuition-
Proof-and-Certainty
(2) Polya’s step in Problem solving: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aMIVcGEn7EE

(3) Richard Auffman, et.al (). Mathematics in the Modern World 13 th Edition. Phil
Edition.Philippines. Rex Bookstore Inc.

I. Learning Essentials

1. Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning

 Inductive Reasoning. The type of reasoning that forms a conclusion based on the
examination of specific examples is called inductive reasoning. The conclusion
formed by using inductive reasoning is often called a conjecture, since it may or may
not be correct.
 Another type of reasoning is called deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is
distinguished from inductive reasoning in that it is the process of reaching a
conclusion by applying general principles and procedures.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 28

Task 1!
Directions: Determine whether each of the following arguments is an example of
inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning. Present your answers in our Google classroom,
be sure to indicate why it is so.

a. During the past 10 years, a tree has produced plums every other year. Last year
the tree did not produce plums, so this year the tree will produce plums.

b. All home improvements cost more than the estimate. The contractor estimated
that my home improvement will cost Php350,000. Thus my home improvement
will cost more than Php350,000.

Scientists often use inductive reasoning. For instance, Galileo Galilei (1564– 1642)
used inductive reasoning to discover that the time required for a pendulum to complete one
swing, called the period of the pendulum, depends on the length of the pendulum. Galileo did
not have a clock, so he measured the periods of pendulums in “heartbeats.” The following
table shows some results obtained for pendulums of various lengths. For the sake of
convenience, a length of 10 inches has been designated as 1 unit.

Examples: Use Inductive Reasoning to Solve an Application

Use the data in the table and inductive reasoning to answer each of the following questions.

a) If a pendulum has a length of 49 units, what is its period?

b) If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled, what happens to its period?

Solution: a. In the table, each pendulum has a period that is the square root of its length.
Thus we conjecture that a pendulum with a length of 49 units will have a period of 7
heartbeats.

b. In the table, a pendulum with a length of 4 units has a period that is twice
that of a pendulum with a length of 1 unit.

A pendulum with a length of 16 units has a period that is twice that of a pendulum
GEC: MATMOD – TED 29
with a length of 4 units. It appears that quadrupling the length of a pendulum doubles its
period.

Counterexamples.
A statement is a true statement provided that it is true in all cases. If you can find one
case for which a statement is not true, called a counterexample, then the statement is a false
statement.
Logic puzzles, another example of a puzzle which requires reasoning can be solved by using
deductive reasoning and a chart that enables us to display the given information in a visual
manner.
1. Each of four neighbors, Sean, Maria, Sarah, and Brian, has a different occupation
(editor, banker, chef, or dentist). From the following clues, determine the occupation of each
neighbor.

1. Maria gets home from work after the banker but before the dentist.

2. Sarah, who is the last to get home from work, is not the editor.

3. The dentist and Sarah leave for work at the same time.

4. The banker lives next door to

Brian.

Solution: From clue 1, Maria is not the

banker or the dentist. In the following chart,
write X1 (which stands for “ruled out by
clue 1”) in the Banker and the Dentist
columns of Maria’s row.

From clue 2, Sarah is not the editor.

Write X2 (ruled out by clue 2) in the Editor
column of Sarah’s row. We know from clue
1 that the banker is not the last to get home,
and we know from clue 2 that Sarah is the
last to get home; therefore, Sarah is not the
banker. Write X2 in the Banker column of
Sarah’s row.

From clue 3, Sarah is not the

dentist. Write X3 for this condition. There
are now Xs for three of the four
occupations in Sarah’s row; therefore,
Sarah must be the chef. Place a ̸ in that
box. Since Sarah is the chef, none of the
GEC: MATMOD – TED 30
other three people can be the chef. Write X3 for these conditions. There are now Xs for three
of the four occupations in Maria’s row; therefore, Maria must be the editor. Insert a ̸ to
indicate that Maria is the editor, and write X3 twice to indicate that neither Sean nor Brian is
the editor.

From clue 4, Brian is not the banker. Write

X4 for this condition. Since there are three Xs in
the Banker column, Sean must be the banker.
Place a in that box. Thus Sean cannot be the
dentist. Write X4 in that box. Since there are 3 Xs
in the Dentist column, Brian must be the dentist.
Place a in that box.

 Sean is the banker, Maria is the editor, Sarah is the chef, and Brian is the dentist.

KenKen Puzzle
KenKen puzzles are similar to Sudoku puzzles, but they also require you to perform
arithmetic to solve the puzzle.

Here is a 4 by 4 puzzle and its solution. Properly constructed puzzles have a unique
solution.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 31

Basic Puzzle Solution Strategies
Single-Square Cages. Fill cages that consist of a single square with the target number
for that square.
Cages with Two Squares. Next examine the cages with exactly two squares. Many
cages that cover two squares will only have two digits that can be used to fi ll the cage. For
instance, in a 5 by 5 puzzle, a 20cage with exactly two squares can only be filled with 4 and 5
or 5 and 4.
Large or Small Target Numbers. Search for cages that have an unusually large or
small target number. These cages generally have only a few combinations of numbers that
can be used to fill the cage.

II. Checking for Understanding

Activity 1.
Direction: Solve the following puzzle using deductive or inductive reasoning.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 32

 Andi, Rolie, Razmo and Shamil are on four-
sports teams.

 Each play on just one team

 They play football basketball, baseball and
hockey
 Bob is a goalie
 The tallest player plays basketball, and the
shortest plays baseball
 Razmo is taller than Shamil, but shorter
than Andi and Rolie

What sports does each play?

2. Intuition, Proof, and Certainty

https://www.scribd.com/document/388414571/Intuition-Proof-and-Certainty
In the philosophy of mathematics, Intuitionism or neointuitionism (opposed to
preintutionism), is an approach where mathematics is considered to be purely the result of the
constructive mental activity of humans rather than the discovery of fundamental principles
claimed to exist in an objective reality. That is, logic and mathematics are not considered
analytic activities wherein deep properties of objective really are revealed and applied but are
instead considered the application of internally consistent methods used to realize more
complex mental constructs, regardless of their possible independent existence in an objective
reality.
In mathematics, a proof is an inferential argument for a mathematical statement. In
the argument, other previously established statements, such as theorems, can be used. In
principle, a proof can be traced back to self-evident or assumed statements, known as
axioms, along with accepted rules of inference.
Certainty is perfect knowledge that has total security from error, or the mental state of
being without doubt. Objectively defined, certainty is a total continuity and validity of all
foundational inquiry, to the highest degree of precision. Something is certain only if no
GEC: MATMOD – TED 33
skepticism can occur.

Activity 2.
Characteristics Map
Direction: Fill in the Map with the necessary information regarding Proof, Certainty, and
Intuition

GEC: MATMOD – TED 34

 CHARACTERISTICS/ CONCEPTS

PROOF

CHARACTERISTICS/
CONCEPTS

Problem
Solving CERTAIN
and TY

Reasoning

CHARACTERISTICS/ CONCEPTS
INTUITION

Watch the Proof that square root of 2 is irrational on https://m.youtube.com/watch?

v=mX91_3G

GEC: MATMOD – TED 35

 III. Analysis

Activity 1. Proving
Directions: Write a clear and logical proof of the following,

Prove that
the only
Prove even
positive
that 2 m+ 1

prime
is odd integer is 2

GEC: MATMOD – TED 36

Topic 3. Problem Solving with Patterns

Terms of a Sequence.
An ordered list of numbers such as
5, 14, 27, 44, 65, … is called a sequence. The numbers in a sequence that are
separated by commas are the terms of the sequence. In the above sequence, 5 is the
first term, 14 is the second term, 27 is the third term, 44 is the fourth term, and 65 is
the fifth term. The three dots “...” indicate that the sequence continues beyond 65,
which is the last written term.
In the sequence 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ..., n2 + n, ...
a1 = 2, a2 = 6, a3 = 12, a4 = 20, a5 = 30, and an = n2 + n.
When we examine a sequence, it is natural to ask:
■ What is the next term?
■ What formula or rule can be used to generate the terms?
To answer these questions, we often construct a difference table, which shows the differences
between successive terms of the sequence. The following table is a difference table for the
sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, ...

In this table, the first differences are not all the same. In such a situation it is often
helpful to compute the successive differences of the first differences. These are shown in row
(2). These differences of the first differences are called the second differences. The
differences of the second differences are called the third differences.
To predict the next term of a sequence, we often look for a pattern in a row of differences.
For instance, in the following table, the second differences shown in blue are all the same
constant, namely 4. If the pattern continues, then a 4 would also be the next second
difference, and we can extend the table to the right as shown.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 37

nth-Term Formula For a Sequence.
In Example 1 we used a difference table to predict the next term of a sequence. In
some cases we can use patterns to predict a formula, called an nth-term formula, that
generates the terms of a sequence. As an example, consider the formula an = 3n2 + n. This
formula defines a sequence and provides a method for finding any term of the sequence. For
instance, if we replace n with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, then the formula a n = 3n2 + n generates the
sequence 4, 14, 30, 52, 80, 114. To find the 40th term, replace each n with 40.
a40 = 3(40)2 + 40 = 4840

Topic 4. Polya’s 4 steps in Problem Solving

1. UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

First. You have to understand the problem.
What is the unknown?
What are the data?
What is the condition?
Is it possible to satisfy the condition?
Is the condition sufficient to determine the unknown?
Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
Draw a figure. Introduce suitable notation.
Separate the various parts of the condition. Can you write them down?

2. DEVISING A PLAN

Second. Find the connection between the data and the unknown.

You may be obliged to consider auxiliary problems if an immediate

connection cannot be found.

You should obtain eventually a plan of the solution.

GEC: MATMOD – TED 38

 Have you seen it before? Or have you seen the same problem in a slightly
different form?

Do you know a related problem? Do you know a theorem that could be

useful?

Look at the unknown! Try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a
similar unknown.

Here is a problem related to yours and solved before. Could you use it? Could
you use its result? Could you use its method? Should you introduce some
auxiliary element in order to make its use possible?

Could you restate the problem? Could you restate it still differently? Go back
to definitions.

If you cannot solve the proposed problem, try to solve first some related
problem. Could you imagine a more accessible related problem? A more general
problem? A more special problem? An analogous problem? Could you solve a
part of the problem? Keep only a part of the condition, drop the other part; how
far is the unknown then determined, how can it vary? Could you derive something
useful from the data? Could you think of other data appropriate to determine the
unknown? Could you change the unknown or data, or both if necessary, so that
the new unknown and the new data are nearer to each other?

Did you use all the data? Did you use the whole condition? Have you taken
into account all essential notions involved in the problem?

3. CARRYING OUT THE PLAN

Third. Carry out your plan.

Carrying out your plan of the solution, check each step.

Can you see clearly that the step is correct? Can you prove that it is correct?

4. LOOKING BACK

Fourth. Examine the solution obtained.

Can you check the result? Can you check the argument?
Can you derive the solution differently? Can you see it at a glance?
Can you use the result, or the method, for some other problem?

 For you to understand the process easily, view it on Youtube app

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aMIVcGEn7EE

GEC: MATMOD – TED 39

Example:
A hat and a jacket together cost Php5000. The jacket costs Php4500 more than the
hat. What are the cost of the hat and the cost of the jacket?

Solution:
Understand the Problem. After reading the problem for the first time, you may think that
the jacket costs Php4500 and the hat costs Php500. But is this correct?

Devise a Plan. Write an equation using h for the cost of the hat and h + 4500 for the cost of
the jacket.

Carry Out the Plan. Solve the above equation for h.

Then, what is the cost of the hat and the jacket?

Answer: _________

Review the Solution. Write below how would you review your solution.

Activity 2. Problem Solving

Direction:Solve the problem completely by picking the appropriate method to be used.

How many different rectangles with an area of twelve squares units

can be formed using unit squares?

GEC: MATMOD – TED 40

GEC: MATMOD – TED 41