Metacognition is thinking about thinking. Often when solving math problems, a solution or a means to one pops into our head so quickly that we don’t know how we found it. It is not always easy to slow down our thinking, retrace the path of our thoughts and examine our hidden strategies. Doing so can help us to develop a set of strategies to try when we are utterly stumped.

That is why mathematicians are always asking themselves, “How did I figure that out?” In other words, the answer to a question is only the beginning. Understanding how you thought up that answer can help you discover the answers to much harder questions.