Jennifer Mendoza

MAT 143
09/12/14
Ch.3 Summary: Responses to being Stuck
The chapter commences by stating that getting stuck is something that cannot be avoided
and that it happens to everyone at some point. The author makes it very clear that getting stuck is
a great opportunity to learn. It is often said that people learn more from their failures than they
do by their successes. An important part of being stuck is to really reflect on the crucial moments
during the process of solving the problem. An example of this can be when someone gets an
epiphany while in the midst of thinking about giving up on the problem. When people are stuck,
it is essential to determine all the information that is known and what the question is really
asking. There are times that people jump to conclusions without understanding the problem.
One thing that I learned was that if people are going to take a break they must record
what they think is blocking them. This is important to think about because there are times that
when I decide to take a break I do not think about what is stopping me from solving the problem.
I become fixated on the fact that the plan that I carried out did not work and I do not know what
to do next. Thinking about and recording the answer to the question would help people find out
what they are doing wrong. They could be thinking about the question in the wrong way which is
something that often happens, but might not be considered.
Moreover, the author discusses that after people find themselves stuck they should return
to the entry phase and determine what they know, want, as well as introduce. People should
reread the question in order to make sure that they are answering the correct question and did not
misread it. It is mentioned that there are times when the question will make sense only after
examples are tried. While rereading the problem, all the information that is known should be
written down so that no fact is overlooked because it could be essential to obtaining an answer.

After this step is finished, what is wanted has to be determined. This can only be done when the
question is completely understood and all the known information has been examined. The author
states that occasionally after both the information known and wanted is summarized some people
might find themselves stuck. He explains that this could be because more specializing needs to
be done. The chessboard problem is referenced in which he counted the number of squares in
smaller chessboards and mentions that he could have chosen even smaller boards.
In addition, I learned that a great amount of time needs to be spent in the entry phase
processing the problem and recording the plan. This is much like when people are asked to
answer a prompt in an essay since they have to dedicate significant amount of time in the
brainstorming process. Many times when people read a problem they carry out the first idea that
comes to mind without slowing down. The author explains that sufficient time needs to be set
apart to think about the problem. He discusses how it is important to write down the ideas that
come to mind and thinking about them in greater detail. It is explained that tackling a problem
with the first idea typically leads people to getting stuck. Also, when a problem is finally solved
time should be invested in contemplating how the resolution was obtained.
A problem that I recently worked on involved finding five distinct unit fractions that
when added together would equal one. I quickly became frustrated because I was unable to find
two distinct fractions that would equal one. I felt like I could not solve the problem. I tried using
an equation and a random unit fraction, but the answer for the variable would always be an
improper fraction. It wasnt until I decided to use the trial and error process using three fractions
that I realized that I needed to find a number that would have at least five distinct factors not
including one. This factor would be the greatest common factor among all the unit fractions. I
found out that the number 28 would fit the criteria. This problem made me realize that I should
not hold back when I am attempting to solve a question and that I should not give up so easily.