1 / 7

Work Backwards

Work Backwards. Problem Solving Strategy. Work Backwards. A strategy that requires you to change your focus. Consider the whole problem in reverse. Check by working it forward from your solution to make sure it is correct. EXAMPLE:

tracey
Download Presentation

Work Backwards

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Work Backwards Problem Solving Strategy

  2. Work Backwards • A strategy that requires you to change your focus. • Consider the whole problem in reverse. • Check by working it forward from your solution to make sure it is correct. EXAMPLE: • Consider planning a vacation to Disneyworld. Once you find a flight, you need to work backwards to plan the beginning of your trip…when do you need to arrive at the airport and then when must you leave your house to arrive at the airport at that time, etc.

  3. How many M&M’s ? After dinner, three friends leaving a restaurant noticed a bowl of M&M’s on the front counter. Eddie took one-third of the M&Ms but returned four because he had a momentary pang of guilt. Cole then took one-fourth of what was left but returned three for similar reasons. Adam then took half the remainder but threw two green ones back. The bowl had only 17 M&M’s left after the boys helped themselves. How many M&Ms were originally in the bowl?

  4. Write down the story steps in order Begin. Eddie took 1/3 of the M&Ms. Eddie returned 4. Cole took 1/4 of what was left. Cole returned 3. Adam took half the remainder. Adam threw 2 back. The bowl had 17 M&Ms left.

  5. Work backwards from the end to the beginning. • Bowl is full. • Eddie took 1/3 of the M&Ms. • Eddie returned 4. • Cole took 1/4 of what was left. • Cole returned 3. • Adam took half the remainder. • Adam threw 2 back. • The bowl had 17 M&Ms left. 48 in the bowl ! 32 in the bowl 36 in the bowl 27 in the bowl 30 in the bowl 15 in the bowl 17 in the bowl

  6. Check from beginning to end. • Bowl is full. • Eddie took 1/3 of the M&Ms. • Eddie returned 4. • Cole took 1/4 of what was left. • Cole returned 3. • Adam took half the remainder. • Adam threw 2 back. • The bowl had 17 M&Ms left. 48 in the bowl 48 – 16 32 + 4 36 – 9 27 + 3 30 – 15 15 + 2 17 – it works!

  7. Strategy: Work Backwards • Write out the steps in order. • Work from the end to the beginning. • Draw diagrams as needed. • Perhaps act it out. • Check from the beginning to the end.

More Related