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Polya's Chart

Here is the method. Seems too simple. Just breathe it in. You can solve anything with these basic steps. Assuming it is solvable?

Glen

Quote:

Polya's Heuristics Chart:

The List
Taken from Polya's How to Solve It
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
To understand the problem, first ask yourself:
What is the unknown?
What are the data (the given)?
What is the condition?
Then
Draw a figure.
Introduce suitable notation.

DEVISING A PLAN
Then find the connection between the data and the unknown.
Have you seen it before or have you seen the same problem in a slightly different form?
Do you know a related problem?
Look at the unknown! And try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown.
Could you restate the problem?
If you cannot solve the proposed problem try to solve first some related problem.

CARRYING OUT THE 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?
After you have an answer, examine the solution obtained.

LOOKING BACK
Can you check the result?
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?

Unquote:

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