Summary
George Pólya's "How to Solve It" argues that the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be applied to any problem that can be reasoned out. It provides instructions for thinking straight, applicable across disciplines, by teaching readers to strip away irrelevancies and focus on the core of a problem. The book aims to harness curiosity and inventive faculties for problem-solving.
The book offers a heuristic dictionary with dozens of entries detailing methods to make problems more manageable, such as using analogy and induction, or the heuristic method of starting with a goal and working backward. Readers learn how to engage their inventive faculties to experience discovery, whether in the classroom or in everyday life, by identifying the heart of a problem and applying reasoned attack.
Key concepts
- Heuristic dictionary — A collection of entries offering methods to make problems more manageable.
- Analogy — A problem-solving technique included in the heuristic dictionary.
- Induction — A problem-solving technique included in the heuristic dictionary.
- Heuristic method — A technique of starting with a goal and working backward to something known.
From the book
Description: A perennial bestseller by eminent mathematician G. Polya, How to Solve It will show anyone in any field how to think straight. In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be “reasoned” out—from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have relished Polya’s deft—indeed, brilliant—instructions on stripping away irrelevancies and going straight to the heart of the problem.
Description: The bestselling book that has helped millions of readers solve any problem A must-have guide by eminent mathematician G. Polya, How to Solve It shows anyone in any field how to think straight. In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can help you attack any problem that can be reasoned out—from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. How to Solve It includes a heuristic dictionary with dozens of entries on how to make problems more manageable—from analogy and induction to the heuristic method of starting with a goal and working backward to something you already know. This disarmingly elementary book explains how to harness curiosity in the classroom, bring the inventive faculties of…
Snippet: The bestselling book that has helped millions of readers solve any problem A must-have guide by eminent mathematician G. Polya, How to Solve It shows anyone in any field how to think straight.