We were asked to solve a mathematic problem in groups on the Friday of week 3. The problem is: folding a paper strip several times, try to predict how many creases point vertex up and how many creases point vertex down.
This is how me and my partner solve the problem:
Firstly, we planned to specify our rules. I am responsible for folding the paper strip and read the direction of the crease to my partner. On the other hand, my partner is responsible for writing the pattern of the direction of the crease down to keep track. After recording about 4 to 5 times, we planned to brainstorm about the solution.
Then, we carried out our plan. I folded the paper strip 4 times and my partner recorded the pattern.
Next, it is our brainstorming section. We initially spent a lot of time thinking about it. Even after the professor let us see the hint, we still had nothing. All we found is that the central crease always point vertex down. Suddenly, my partner came up with the pattern. The pattern is: copy the previous line to the right side of the central vertex down arrow, then every crease on the left side of the central vertex down arrow is opposite of the crease that to the central vertex down arrow with the same distance. Now we were able to write the pattern of the crease of a paper strip folded any times.
Finally, we checked our solution. We predicted the pattern of the strip after five times of folding and wrote it down. We tried really hard to fold the paper strip the five times, and read the pattern of crease. It is the same as our prediction.
Overall, we solved the problem successfully by following the steps of solving mathematical problem given by G. Polya.
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