Today’s problems? Think like a 6th grader.

Remember the fun of word problems from your early school days? Something like the following was either agony or a lot of fun: “Ben is three times as old as John. The sum of their ages is 40 years. How old is each of them?” (Answer below.)

Sixth Grade “heuristic” (i.e., steps to follow)

1. Understand the Problem

• Clearly identify what is being asked and the key information given. Ben is three time as old as John and their total age is forty.

2. Identify the Variables

• Determine the variables and what they represent. (X = John age. 3X = Ben age.)

3. Formulate Relationships

• Establish equations or relationships between variables. (X + 3X = 40.)

4. Simplify the Problem

• Break down the problem into smaller, more manageable parts. This is already simple.

5. Solve Systematically

• Use logical steps to solve the equations or relationships you’ve established. (4X = 40; therefore X = 10)

6. Check the Solution

• Word Problem: Review your solution to ensure it makes sense and answers the original question. (Yep, 10 + 30 = 40)

7. Communicate the Solution

• Word Problem: Explain your reasoning and how you arrived at the answer. (Dude, it’s simple math!)

Answer: John is 10 and Ben is 30.

Sixth Grade heuristic applied to a “hot” flu season.

Step 1: Understand the Problem

• Let’s say the goal is to reduce the spread of the flu virus in a large city.
• Let’s say that the current infection rate is high, with each infected person spreading the virus to two others.

Step 2: Identify the Variables

• Infection rate
• Daily new infections
• Hospital capacity
• Public health measures (e.g., mask mandates, social distancing)

Step 3: Formulate Relationships

• Use a model from past epidemics to predict the number of susceptible, infected, and recovered individuals over time.
• Develop a relationship between the infection rate and public health measures. What works and what doesn’t work?

Step 4: Simplify the Problem

• Focus first on reducing the infection rate by encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing. (Simple step, but hard to implement.)
• Implement targeted lockdowns in neighborhoods with the highest infection rates. (China can; we can’t.)

Step 5: Solve Systematically

• Introduce public health measures to reduce the infection rate from 2 to below 1.
• Increase testing and contact tracing to identify and isolate infected individuals.

Step 6: Check the Solution

• Monitor daily new infection rates. If the rate of infection starts to decrease, continue with current measures.
• If the infection rate does not decline, consider stricter measures or increasing vaccination efforts.

Step 7: Communicate the Solution

• Hold daily press briefings to inform the public about the epidemic’s status.
• Explain the importance of compliance with public health measures as clearly as possible.

Conclusion

Maybe your 6^th grade complaint of “I’ll never use this stuff” was wrong. Just sayin.

MindPrep Reflections

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Cheers,

Bill