Wan Plas Wan, Magellan

Nag-email sa akin si Cheng (utal ko... babaeng "utol") ng isang word problem:

Bob the Builder goes to work very early but he encountered a problem. He forgot the five digit access code to his high-tech workshop. However, he remembered the five clues to get the right five digit access code. Hereunder are the clues:

1. The fifth number plus the third number of the access code equals fourteen.
2. The fourth number is one more than the second number.
3. The first number is one less than twice the second number.
4. The second plus the third number equals ten.
5. The total of all the five numbers is thirty.

*****

Nasagutan ko naman siya at sobrang nakaka-aliw. Reminds me of my Algebra days back in highschool. Pinasagutan ko nga din kay Jai (classmate ko nung highschool at teammate ko on most quizbees) and, like me and most people that I sent it to, bitin din siya dahil nakaka-aliw mag sagot.

Among the dudes that replied to me, I've at least seen 3 mathematical approaches on answering the problem. Most of those who got the answer, solved for "b" or the second number. First try ko kasi e dun ko din pinadaan pero sumablay ako so I derived equations for "c" or the third number.

Scratch paper ko...
Isang bloke ng computation para sa derived equations.
Isang bloke ng computation para sa substitution of values.
Isang bloke ng computation para sa wrap-up (using the 5th clue, commutative axiom... o-ha!).

Ang malupet e yung approach ni Roy... the tried and tested "trial and error method". Haha, lupet. Tyinaga nya talaga.

Ayoko ng Algebra, and generally MATH! Pero ironically mataas ang aptitude ko towards it. Ayoko ng may umiikot na numbers sa ulo ko.

Scratch paper ni Roy... mas o-ha!

Wan Plas Wan, Magellan

Nag-email sa akin si Cheng (utal ko... babaeng "utol") ng isang word problem:

Bob the Builder goes to work very early but he encountered a problem. He forgot the five digit access code to his high-tech workshop. However, he remembered the five clues to get the right five digit access code. Hereunder are the clues:

1. The fifth number plus the third number of the access code equals fourteen.
2. The fourth number is one more than the second number.
3. The first number is one less than twice the second number.
4. The second plus the third number equals ten.
5. The total of all the five numbers is thirty.

*****

Nasagutan ko naman siya at sobrang nakaka-aliw. Reminds me of my Algebra days back in highschool. Pinasagutan ko nga din kay Jai (classmate ko nung highschool at teammate ko on most quizbees) and, like me and most people that I sent it to, bitin din siya dahil nakaka-aliw mag sagot.

Among the dudes that replied to me, I've at least seen 3 mathematical approaches on answering the problem. Most of those who got the answer, solved for "b" or the second number. First try ko kasi e dun ko din pinadaan pero sumablay ako so I derived equations for "c" or the third number.

Scratch paper ko...
Isang bloke ng computation para sa derived equations.
Isang bloke ng computation para sa substitution of values.
Isang bloke ng computation para sa wrap-up (using the 5th clue, commutative axiom... o-ha!).

Ang malupet e yung approach ni Roy... the tried and tested "trial and error method". Haha, lupet. Tyinaga nya talaga.

Ayoko ng Algebra, and generally MATH! Pero ironically mataas ang aptitude ko towards it. Ayoko ng may umiikot na numbers sa ulo ko.

Scratch paper ni Roy... mas o-ha!