# Problem Solving Methods

My problem solving strategy involves looking at the problem and collecting as much relevant information as possible, elaborating the given information and waiting for a general strategy to develop. This of course happens after I understand the question and before I come up with strategy.

Many Problem Solving Strategies mention for example, Understanding, coming up with a plan, implementing the plan.

The strategies never mention the crucial event between understanding and coming up with a plan. What does your thought process involve while solving problems?

Or after understanding the problem, what measures ease your development of strategy?

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My general guidelines for solving problems:

1. Identify what I am trying to solve. Is this a variable, algorithm or something else?

2. Identify what else do I know that may be useful to solve this issue. This is tricky because there may be a great deal of other information that may help in trying to solve the issue.

3. Formulate an arrangement of the elements from the first 2 steps in order to set up a plan to resolve the issue. This can be setting up equations, constructing models, writing software, or any of 101 other things that may help to process what I have to get where I want to be.

4. Follow the plan to get a result that is of the type noted in the first step.

5. Verify that this is correct and be prepared to justify why this is correct.

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You might want to have a look (there are others) at some of these sorts of books and practice the general art to learn better proof strategies.

General Proof Strategies

• How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method (Princeton Science Library), G. Polya

• How to Prove It: A Structured Approach, Daniel J. Velleman

• The Nuts and Bolts of Proofs, Third Edition: An Introduction to Mathematical Proofs, Antonella Cupillari

• How to Read and Do Proofs: An Introduction to Mathematical Thought Processes, Daniel Solow

You might also want to look at the Triki and at Open Courseware at places like MIT and also at Khan Academy.

Regards

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Nice recommendations, as usual ;-) – amWhy May 4 '13 at 0:22