DavesProblemoftheWeek(POW)

JustCountthePegs
BriannaTavares

Class
F

FreddieShort,SallyShorter,andFrashyShortesthaveeachcreatedformulastofinding
theareaofanypolygon.FreddieShortsformulaareaofanypolygonwithoutanyinteriorpegs.
Likeaninandouttabletheinwouldbethenumberofpegsontheboundary,outistheareaof
thefigure.FreddieShortscreatedanequationthatwouldhelpfindorgivetheamountof
boundarypegsintheshape.SallyShortersformulashortcutfortheareaofanypolygonwith
fourpegsontheboundary.Allyouneedtodoisgivetheamountofpegsintheinteriorandyou
willgetthearea.SallyShortercreatedaformulathatwouldhelpfindtheamountofinteriorpegs
intheshapethefastestwaypossible.FrashyShortestformulagivestheareaof
any
polygon.
Giveherthenumberofpegsontheinteriorandontheboundary.Youwillgettheareaquickly.
ButthepointofthePOWistofindouttheformulafrashycreatedthatwillhelpwithfindingthe
areaof
any
polygon.

Thereweremanydifferentrandomshapesdonewhentryingtosolvethisweeks
problemoftheweek.TheformulathatFrashycreatedtofindtheareaofanypolygonis...the
numberofpegsontheboundarydividedby2,subtractedby1,addedtotheinteriorpegswhich
willresulttofindingtheareaofthepolygons.Hereisavisualoftheformula....
BP 21+IP=A.

HereistheprogressastohowIfoundthefinalformulaforFrashy.

So,firstIsolvedanddiscoveredtheequationFreddieShortscreatedbylookingfordifferent
shapesthatwouldnothaveanyinteriorpegs.Itwasthendiscoveredthattheeasiestandbest
shapewasarectangle.


Theoriginalstartoftheamountofpegsontheboundarywas4,asthesizeincreasedthe
amountofpegstherectanglewouldincreasebywas2.

In

Out

10

IthencreatedanInandOuttabletoshowthedataoftheshapesincreasetoexploreandfind
thepatternofthedatatocreatetheformula.Irealizedafterthinkingandtryingtofigureoutthe
patternthattheoutwasanoutcomeoftheinlosingthreepegseachtimetheinincreased.So
thepatternputintoaformulawas
x21=y
,intheequationthexistheInandyistheOut.
Thereasonfortheequationisthattheindividedbytwoandthenonepegbeingsubtracted
fromtheanswerwouldconcludetofindingtheout.HereisanexampleofwhatImean.

Next,IfollowedthesimilarstepstowardfindingtheformulacreatedbySallyShorter.I
experimentedwithdifferentshapesthathadfourpegsontheboundaryoftheshape.The
formulaSallyShortercreatedtofindingtheareaofthepolygonis...ithastohavefourpegson
theboundaryoftheshapeandneedstoknowtheamountofpegsontheinterioroftheshape.
Whatwasthenfoundwasakitediamondshape...

Thestartingamountofpegsintheinterioroftheshapewas1,everysteptheamountincreases
byoneasshowninthediagramabove.

In

Out

JustasIdidforFreddie,IcreatedanInandOuttabletoshowthedataforeachstep.The
patternisthateachsteptheOutisonemorethantheIn.Hereisthepatterncreatedintoa
mathematicalformula...
x+1=y.
ThereasonforthisisthatIrearrangedtheshapesintoa
squareorarectangle.Suchasanexampleshownbelow.

Ascanbeseenintheexampleaboveforthefirsttriangle,Ifoundtherewerefourcongruent
righttrianglesinthediamondandtovisuallychecktheareaoftheshapeIrearrangedthe
trianglesintoarectanglewithanareaoftwosquareunits.Thesamestepswererepeatedfor
therestofthediamondstofindtheirareasinsquareunits.

Nowfiguringoutthe
flashy
formulathatFrashycreatedtofindingtheareaforanypolygonwas
abitdifficultorconfusingandchallengingtofind.But,Icametotheconclusionof,
BP 21+
IP=A
.BPfortheboundarypegsintheequationandIPfortheinnerpegs.NowhowIoriginally
thoughtofdoingFrashy'sformulawashavingbothFreddiesandSallysformulascombinedand
thatwouldbeFrashysequationbut,itdidntturnoutthatwayforme.Thereasonwhywas
becausewhenItriedtotestitoutbytryingtoaddbothformulastogether,theareawasnt
correctfromtheactualareaoftheshape.Theareawasonepegtoohigh,soIthendecidednot
toincludetheplusonepegfromSallysformula.Thisthencreatedthecorrectformulathe
FrashycreatedanditmatchedtheformulaoftheshapeIusedasanexample.Hereisthe
visualandanexplanationprovingandcheckingtheformula.

Iusedthesimplestshapeforexperimentingandcheckingmywork,whichwastherectangle.I
decidedtorandomlydecidedastartingamountofpegsfortheboundaryandthenwouldgetthe
amountofpegsontheinteriorfromtheshape,asseenintheexampleabove.Thestarting
amountofpegsontheboundarywastenandafterdrawingouttheshapeonthegeoboardI
foundthattheamountofpegsontheinteriorwastwo.AfterIthenhadtherectangleincreaseby
threemorepegswhichwasanentirerow.IrecordedthedataasanInandOuttabletoeasily
graspthepatternandfindtheformulacreatedbyFrashy.

In

Out

12

15

18

10

21

12

TheInistheboundaryandinteriorpegscombinedandtheOutisthearea,
insquare
units
,oftherectangle.ThepatternInoticedfromtheInandOuttableisthattheOutofthe
rectangleishalftheamountofpegsthantheIn.SoasIsaidIoriginallyattemptedFreddiesand
Sallysformulastogether.

BP 21+IP+1=
|
10 21+2+1=

51+2+1=

4+2+1=
6+1=7

TheanswerIgotwasonepeghighandtheactualareaoftheshapewas6.

IdecidedtotakeawaytheplusonepeginSallysformulasincetheminusonepegin
Freddiesformulawouldcanceloutwithherone.Withouttheextraonetherewouldthenbesix
pegsfortheareaandthisanswermatchessomuchbetterwiththeareaoftherectangle.

IthinkIdidverywellwithprovidingvisualpresentationsthatshowednotonlythe
processbut,whatIgotalso.ThisalsohelpedmeexplainitinthisPOWwaybetter.IthinkI
honestlydeservea8outof10becauseIfulfilledalltherequirementsbut,Ididturnitinacouple
ofdayslatewhichisntgoodbutIwasstilllostonthisproblem.Imanagedtofigureitoutonmy
ownorunderstanditwaybetteronmyown.TheHabitofaMathematicianthatIfeellikeI
practicedthemostduringtheprocessofsolvingthisPOWwasJustifyingandsupportingthe
answers,theformulasIgot,andthestepsorwaysItookintosolvingtheproblem.Imanagedto
explainbettertomyselfandunderstanditbetter.