Math puzzles, powerful ideas, algorithms and computers in teaching problem-solving

 

M.A. Murray-Lasso

 

Computer-Aided Teaching Unit, Department of Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, National University of Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, D.F., 04510, Mexico.

 

Received: June 13^th 2001.
Accepted: October 29^th 2002.

 

Abstract

With the current interest in teaching problem-solving, it is important that the example problems that are presented to students have important educational value. Many mathematical puzzles, while requiring little specific background to be posed and remembered, are paradigms of important practical problems. If the teacher chooses the right puzzles, he/she not only will have motivated the student's interest, but will also have the opportunity of teaching powerful ideas that can be applied in a multitude of similar problems. Moreover the teacher will also be able to teach the corresponding solution algorithms and the way computers can be used as tools in problem-solving. The article presents these topics through an extensive example based on a well-known, apparently simple, wine-pouring puzzle that is intimately related to the concepts of state, shortest-routes and many management, engineering and industrial problems.

Keywords: Puzzles, Powerful Ideas, Algorithms, Computers, Problem-Solving, Paradigms, Graphs, States, Recursion, Shortest-Routes.

 

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