{"id":3094,"date":"2019-09-25T10:18:27","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T16:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/?p=3094"},"modified":"2019-10-28T09:21:44","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T15:21:44","slug":"solving-design-problems-like-a-mathematician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/solving-design-problems-like-a-mathematician\/","title":{"rendered":"Solving Design Problems like a Mathematician"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a recent FreeCodeCamp forum, someone asked a question about journaling:<\/p>\n

Hi coders,<\/em>
\nWhile looking for the source for my project, I saw that some programmers or developers wrote a kind of diary to keep track of the code. I think it\u2019s nice, but I was wondering exactly how you can structure a diary and if any of you use this to write code.\u00a0<\/em>Question here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Good question. I’ve seen other people use diaries or online journals, or those things people use…writing logs or whatever. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Anyway, the only reply includes a link about using a “logbook”<\/a>. On the link page, the author references George P\u00f3lya\u00a0and his book\u00a0How to Solve It<\/a>. I had never heard of this person or his book, so I did a little research.<\/p>\n

George P\u00f3lya, (1887 – 1985)<\/h3>\n

George P\u00f3lya<\/a> was a Hungarian-born mathematician who was known for his mathematics work, as well as his work in heuristics. Heuristics<\/a> is “any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method”.<\/p>\n

“Examples that employ heuristics include using a\u00a0rule of thumb, an\u00a0educated guess, an\u00a0intuitive\u00a0judgment, a\u00a0guesstimate,\u00a0profiling, or\u00a0common sense<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

He\u00a0wrote a book about solving problems using common sense principles.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
1st edition cover of “How to Solve It”, published in 1945, by George P\u00f3lya, a Hungarian mathematician.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The George P\u00f3lya Method of Solving Problems<\/h3>\n

The Wikipedia page<\/a>\u00a0shows that\u00a0P\u00f3lya\u00a0lays out some pretty good heuristics for solving problems. Although he intended for these strategies to be used for solving math problems, I think they could be used to provide a structured method for solving almost any difficult problem.<\/p>\n

The P\u00f3lya problem solving method involves 4 principles:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. First, you have to\u00a0understand\u00a0the\u00a0problem<\/i>.<\/li>\n
  2. After understanding,\u00a0make a plan<\/i>.<\/li>\n
  3. Carry out the plan<\/i>.<\/li>\n
  4. Look back<\/i>\u00a0on your work.\u00a0<\/span>How could it be better?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So how does it work?<\/p>\n

    Principle 1: Understand the Problem<\/h3>\n

    P\u00f3lya based the first principle, Understand the Problem<\/em>, on the idea that math students struggled to solve problems due to a\u00a0lack of understanding\u00a0the problem in full or in part. His technique involved coaching teachers to prompt students with the following questions:<\/p>\n