WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS

or


A Student's Guide to Problem Solving

	When it comes to "doing story problems" for their math
homework, most people would rather be "doing something else".  So
this page of the World of TROTTER MATH will provide you with a
great service, namely some tips and shortcuts for doing this most
unpleasant task.  Follow the rules given below and watch your
grades improve.  tt




Rule 1:	If at all possible, avoid reading the problem.  Reading the
	problem consumes time and causes confusion.



Rule 2:	Extract the numbers from the problem in the order in which
	they appear.  Be on the watch for numbers written as words.



Rule 3:	If Rule 2 yields three or more numbers, the best bet for
	getting the answer is adding them together.



Rule 4:	If there are only two numbers which are approximately the
	same size, then subtraction should give the needed results.



Rule 5:	If there are only two numbers in the problem and one is
	much smaller than the other, then divide if it goes evenly
	--- otherwise, multiply.



Rule 6:	If the problem seems like it calls for a formula, pick a
	formula that has enough letters to use all the numbers
	given in the problem.



Rule 7:	If the rules 1-6 don't seem to work, make one last desperate
	attempt.  Take the set of numbers found by Rule 2 and perform
	about two pages of random operations using these numbers.
	You should circle about five or six answers on each page just
	in case one of them happens to be the answer.  You might get
	partial credit for trying hard.



Rule 8:	Never, never spend too much time solving problems.  This set
	of rules will get you through even the longest assignments
	in no more than ten minutes with very little thinking!




[These "rules" were written by Joe Dodson, a Math Supervisor, and
published in the NORTH CAROLINA STATE MATH NEWSLETTER; later I found
them reprinted in another state's journal.]