Problem Solving Using Puzzles and Games

[Ashley]

I have collected some common puzzles and math tricks available all over the Internet. Hope to publish a book.

It uses detailed analysis and a lot of insight, to get more solutions than the original sources, and teach aspects of problem solving: Definition, Analysis, Exploration, learning from failure or inefficient solutions, what is an acceptable solution, implementing, feedback, re-implementation.

The analytical detail should be a mathematician's dream come true (my humble opinion).

Let me know what you think!

http://ashley.mypressonline.com/puzzl...

[Ashley]

Link to sample content: http://www.problemsolvingpathway.com/...
Link to synopsis of all the books in the series: http://www.problemsolvingpathway.com/...
Please share these links with anyone who may be interested.
Send feedback, suggestions, communication related to the book series. Email to 'info@problemsolvingpathway.com' will get a quick response.

Goal: Make learning easy and fun.
Genres: Life-skills, "How To", Self-help, Self-learning, Education.

Thanks,

Ashley Fernandes
Problem Solving Pathway
Learn More: www.problemsolvingpathway.com
Communicate: info@problemsolvingpathway.com

[Julia]

Hi Ashley,
thank you for sharing the book. Looks very nice. Have you pilot-tested these activities with different groups? Which ones enjoy it the most?
Take a look at my book for parents and children, too:
http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Brave-Op...
http://naturalmath.com/brightbraveope...

Best regards and good luck,
Julia

[Ashley]

Dear Julia,
Your book samples are simple and elegant - what most people prefer.
Tested my problems with 12-15 year old's (in school), 21-25 year old's (new to the workplace), few people of higher ages.
Real problem solvers (few, target audience) appreciate the level of detail that helps develop their analysis and thinking skills. They are already inclined to thinking, analyzing, deciding rationally, benefit the most. Others find the problems too involved. They benefit only if they sincerely try.
Your sample problems are in my books. My solutions fill whole pages, because they analyze ALL ways (called paths) outward from the problem. Some paths lead to solutions, most lead to results (outcomes where you try everything legal but do not achieve the goal). Some common error paths are also explored (breaking of problem rules or constraints).
For example your Pascal Triangle also has a pattern in cells in a straight line inclined to the North-West (or South-East, depending on your perspective).:
11111? (Missing number is 1);
1234? (Missing number is 5);
136? (add 2, 3, 4... Missing number is 10)
14 sequence is too short to develop a pattern. Use the North-East sequence 136?
If you get the same solution via two independent paths, the chances (probability!) that you have found a true pattern are higher (after all, your analysis could also be faulty).
No horizontal pattern between rows that I can find (but perhaps it exists).
Hope the feedback is helpful. Please feel free to share feedback about my samples if and when you get down to it.

My samples are free to share with anyone who may be interested.
These are my stumbling blocks (what are yours?):
- Finding the target audience in sufficient quantities
- Printing a low cost book