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Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

Expansion of
Awesomeness Theorem 1
(Matches Question Variation)

Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

Theorem: Expansion of Awesomeness 1


This is a variation created by myself on the Match problems in the
book, Thinking Mathematically, on page 86 & 87.

The original Matches

question stated a simple idea. It takes four matches to make a square. Then
you add several more matches to make this one square into two squares.
Then you add more to make three squares. This went on and so forth. The
point was to make an equation to solve this never ending puzzle. With each
new square added on, how many matches would there be? Keep in mind,
these squares will all be in one long row and will always be connected by at
least one match.

I found this interesting mainly because I liked how it was a simple


pattern that would be easy to solve. I noticed every time a new square was
added to the right; it was just an extra three matches.

This made the

equation 3n + 1 = m, whereas n = the number of squares is n and the

Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

number of match sticks is m. After doing a few of these examples on paper, I


am reliant that the answer is correct for any number of squares now.
Matches number 2 was the same but with a new trick up its sleeve.
Instead of just expanding to the right with one new square every turn, why
not make it into a grid? Every time this grid would expand it would keep its
same perfect square shape. If you went one to the right, you had to go one
up. And any open spaces between going up and to the right had to be filled
in, with additional boxes of matches, so the whole look of it was one huge
square.

The answer to this is 2n (n + 1) = m. This one was more difficult to


come by as it didnt occur to me to multiply the n against itself at first. My

Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

head automatically went to squaring the n but after a few trial and errors I
saw my mistake and found the answer.
The only problem was after reading the problem in the book, and
discovering there was an answer written inside for this one, I decided it was
going to be far too easy to present so I decided to be creative and come up
with something new and unique.
Expansion of Awesomeness Theorem 1 came into play because I
thought, no matter what, Matches number 1 was too easy, Matches number
2 had information (which I did not need) in the book to answer it, but
according to the syllabus, we are supposed to find a question in which an
epiphany hits us. I wanted something that was completely unique to me and
something that I had not thought about before.
Something about the matches question kind of got me thinking.

believed that since Matches number 2 expanded on 1 by simply squaring the


problem, I thought what if it were to grow around it instead? What if instead
of increasing to one side, a new level of matches appear around my original
square.

Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

It took me about a week to come up with the same information


over and over again. The amounts of squares around the original square will
have so many matches. And that the amount of squares will increase by this
many numbers. And I kept finding so many patterns within it all but I didnt
find anything that made me go, Oh, with this equation I can solve my
problem. So I decided to review Matches number 1 and 2 again.
I noticed that there is a crosspath from the original square going in four
directions. And I noticed that every time that crosspath increased by one, it
was like having Matches number 2 equation increase between the crosspath
multiplied by 4.
After some small trial and errors, I was finally able to come up with a
formula I felt that would not fail me. So far, every trial I have thrown at it has

Problem Solving in Math

proven true.

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

Since my equation is about expanding around an original

square and I deem it worthy of Awesomeness, I have dubbed it,


Expansion of Awesomeness Theorem 1, (noting to myself that its
number 1 since I will hopefully create more and that they will be unique to
the world).
My Equation:
4 + 3 x (4 x n) + 2 x (n 2) x 4 = m

m = number of matches
n = number of increases
I figured this out because I noticed that I could easily come up with an

equation for the crosspath (this was pretty much the same method as
Matches number 1 just multiplied by 4).

This led me to believe I had

inadvertently found the first half of my equation and let me see a way to
explain that I am increasing all the sides by 1.
The second half I figured out by using information from Matches
number 2 and multiplying that by 4 for every increase. And when I added
the two numbers from both halves of my equations together, I realized I got
the final answer I needed.

I was finally able to solve my ever expanding

world of boxes. And at the same time, I have invented a new word which I
now use to describe the interior part of my problems structure. That word is
crosspath.

Problem Solving in Math

MW 4pm-5:15pm

Michael Briones

Sources:
John Mason, Leone Burton, and Kaye Stacey. Thinking Mathematically. Essex:
Prentice Hall, 1982. Print.

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