Explore different problem-solving strategies that are essential for personal growth, academic success, and sustained professional achievement.

Computer Science Bootcamp

Problem-solving skills empower individuals to adapt and face challenges resiliently, resulting in efficiency, innovation, and effective decision-making. This versatile skill set is more than an immediate problem-solving tool; it is a lifelong asset essential for personal growth, academic success, and sustained professional achievement.

In this module, you’ll learn and apply Polya’s problem-solving process, using it as your guide to tackle various games and puzzles. Additionally, you’ll explore different problem-solving strategies, including the top-down approach, bottom-up approach, divide and conquer, stepwise refinement, analogy, and induction/pattern identification.

After completing this module, you’ll acquire the expertise to apply Polya’s systematic approach to resolving intricate problems and establish the groundwork for a lifelong skill set. This comprehensive understanding will empower you to master effective strategies for problem-solving.

Learn Problem-Solving with Pólya

# Strategy

Now, we know the basics of the game. We've gathered all the information from the problem statement and need to come up with a strategy to achieve win the game...but we don't know how to do that. Let's ask ourselves the following questions:

- Do we have to be specific while guessing the mine?

- Should our guesses about which cells are mines be precise?

- Can we use the information we have in a logical manner to find the mines?

We can divide our problem into multiple subproblems and solve them to find the solution, but how? 

Let’s say we are in the middle of the game and we have some cells covered and others uncovered. We can select a specific cell and solve its adjacent cells to eliminate the mines. For example, as shown in the board below:

Develop a strategy to solve this problem.

Introduction

Measuring Quantities with a Bottom-Up Approach

Solving the Farmer’s Dilemma by Embracing a Top-Down Approach

Using an Analogy for Calculating the Length of Wire

Unveiling the Bear’s Color with a Stepwise Refinement Strategy

Using Divide and Conquer to Win the Number Guessing Game

Applying Divide and Conquer for Mastering Minesweeper

Cherishing Gauss’s Genius of Spotting Patterns

Utilizing Pattern Identification for Counting

Conclusion

Devising a Plan: Strategy

Strategy