Mathematical Reasoning: Problem Solving Tips

Well, I’m at it again teaching the entry-level Mathematical Reasoning course at the University of Tennessee. So far this semester I’ve had some of my students tell me that they don’t know where to start when solving problems. Knowing the definitions is only enough for the most straightforward of problems. Often times persistence, trial and error, and a trick or two are needed to really get the job done.

Here are some examples of “tricks” I’ve found to be useful for handling problems in Mathematical Reasoning, but they are general enough to be helpful…