PREFACE
What did one mathematics book say to another one?
‘‘Boy, do we have problems!’’All mathematics books have problems, and most of them have word prob-
lems. Many students have difficulties when attempting to solve word prob-
lems. One reason is that they do not have a specific plan of action. A
mathematician, George Polya (1887–1985), wrote a book entitledHow To
Solve It, explaining a four-step process that can be used to solve word prob-
lems. This process is explained in Lesson 1 of this book and is used through-
out the book. This process provides a plan of action that can be used to solve
word problems found in all mathematics courses.
This book is divided into several parts. Lessons 2 through 7 explain how to
use the four-step process to solve word problems in arithmetic or prealgebra.
Lessons 8 through 19 explain how to use the process to solve problems in
algebra, and these lessons cover all of the basic types of problems (coin,
mixture, finance, etc.) found in an algebra course. Lesson 20 explains how to
use algebra when solving problems in geometry. Lesson 21 explains some
other types of problem-solving strategies. These strategies can be used in lieu
of equations and can help in checking problems when equations are not
appropriate. Because of the increasing popularity of the topics of probability
and statistics, Lessons 22 and 23 cover some of the basic types of problems
found in these areas. This book also contains six ‘‘Refreshers.’’ These are
intended to provide a review of topics needed to solve the words that
follow them. They are not intended to teach the topics from scratch. You
should refer to appropriate textbooks if you need additional help with the
refresher topics.
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