Although, on the surface, the procedure may seem unnatural, it is used
in everyday decision making without much fanfare. Take, for example, the
task of finding the best route to an unfamiliar place on a map. Typically,
we first try to locate the destination point and then gradually work backwards
through a network of roads until we get to familiar surroundings.
However, when it comes to mathematical applications of this technique,
we have to encourage students to include this procedure in their arsenal of
problem-solving tools, even where it may not be in an obvious problemsolving
technique.