Definition
Problem-solving strategy
A problem-solving strategy is a planned approach chosen to make a maths problem manageable.
What it means
It is your plan before and during solving. You might draw a diagram, make an organised table, work backwards, try a simpler case, or look for a pattern. Different strategies can be correct; a good one makes the important relationships easier to see and check.
Remember it
Choose a route that fits the problem, then check where it leads.
Example
A theatre has 12 rows, with 3 more seats in each new row. To find the number of seats in row 8, make a table of row number and seats, extend the pattern, and verify that the increase is always 3.
Watch for
A strategy is not a single answer or an unsupported guess; it is the approach used to reach and justify the answer.
Common mix-up
An algorithm is a fixed procedure for a task; a strategy is a choice among approaches and may change as you learn more.
Exact meaning
A problem-solving strategy is a purposeful method or sequence of actions selected because it fits the structure of a mathematical problem.