Christoffer Werge (10832)

Lasse Srensen (09421)

Hand-in 3

13-09-2013

Hand-in 3
Exercise 1
We are told to disprove the statement:
If x {0,1,2,3,4}, then 2n + 3n + n*(n-1)* (n-2) is prime
The best way to disprove this sentence is by giving a counterexample in the form of:
There exists an x {0,1,2,3,4}, such that 2n + 3n + n*(n-1)* (n-2) is not prime
We find out, that when x is 4 the equation gives us:
24 + 34 + 4*(4-1) * (4-2) = 16 + 81 + 24 = 121
11 is a factor of 121, and therefore 121 is not a prime. So we have found a counterexample to our
first statement, and thus disproved it.

Exercise 2
AB is odd if both A and B is odd, is even if A, B or Both is even: 3 og 5 = 15
(A + B)^2, is odd if A and B is of different parity, is even if A and B is of same parity. 3 og 5= 64
A^2*B^2 is odd if both A and B is odd, is even if A, B or both are even. 3 og 5 = 225 = odd
A + AB + B, is odd if A, B or Both are odd, is even if Both are even. 3 og 5 = 23 = odd
We are told that A and B is in the domain of Z. We are then asked to disprove the statement:
If A*B and (A + B)2 are of opposite parity,
then A2 B2 and A + A*B + B are of opposite parity
To disprove this, we need to find atleast one A and one B where this doesn't hold. In analysing the
individual statments we can figure out that:
A*B is odd iff. both A and B are odd.
(A+B)2 is odd iff. A and B is of different parity.
A2*B2 is odd iff. Both A and B are odd.
A + A*B + B is odd iff. A, B or Both are odd.
From this we can see that:
A*B and A2*B2 are always of the same parity.
If we can find an A and a B that makes (A+B)2 a different parity from A* B and A + A*B + B, then
we have disproved the statements. We choose and A and B that both are odd. This would make A*B
odd and (A+B)2 even, A2*B2 would be odd and A+A*B + B is odd. So:

Christoffer Werge (10832)

Lasse Srensen (09421)

Hand-in 3

13-09-2013

If A and B is odd, then A*B and (A*B) is of different parity,

and A2*B2 and A + A*B + B is of the same parity

Exercise 3
We are told that x and y is in domain of all positive real numbers.
Furthermore we are told to prove by contradiction that if x < y then sqrt(x) < sqrt(y)
To prove this by contradiction we assume to the contrary, that:
there exists x and y such that if x < y then sqrt(x) >= sqrt(y)
We assume that x = a, and y = a +1, a being a real number. Whatever number you put into a, x
would always be smaller then y, So:
if a < a + 1, then sqrt(a) >= sqrt(a+1)
When using real numbers, we can safely assume that:
if s >= t, then s2 >= t2
So we can assume that:
If a < a+1, then sqrt(a)2 >= sqrt(a+1)2
if a < a+1, then a >= a+1
This is a clear contradiction, and so it is proved by contradiction that:
x < y then sqrt(x) < sqrt(y)
Q.E.D

Exercise 4:
We need to prove that there is no largest negative rational number.
To do this we assume to the contrary that there is a largest negative number, which we will call s. It
must follow that:
Q-< s < 0
If s is rational, negative number, then there is a (very, very small) number between s and 0. Lets call
this difference t. The half of this distance, can be called t/2. This distance added to s, would still be
negative, but greater than s, so:
Q- < s < s + t/2 < 0
Therefore s is not the greatest negative number, which will create a contradiction. So it has been
proven by contradiction that there is not largest negative number
2

Christoffer Werge (10832)

Lasse Srensen (09421)

Hand-in 3

13-09-2013

Exercise 5:
We need to prove that there exists no positive integer x such that 2x < x2 < 3x.
Since x is a positive integer, we can safely assume that
a < b < c a/x < b/x < c/x
This must mean we can say that:
2x / x < x2 / x < 3x / x
2<x<3
Since there can't exist a positive integer between 2 and 3, we have proved that there exists no
positive integer such that 2x < x2 < 3x. Q.E.D

Exercise 6:
We need to prove that if n is an odd integer, then 7n 5 is even, by doing 3 different proofs; Direct
proof, proof by contrapositive and proof by contradiction
Part A: Direct Proof.
If n is odd, we can subtitute this by saying that n = 2x + 1. From this we can deduce that:
7(2x +1) 5 =
14 x + 7 5 =
14x + 2 =
2(7x + 1)
Since 7x +1 is an integer, 7n 5 is even. Q.E.D
Part B: Proof by contrapositive
To do a proof by contrapositive we say that if 7n 5 is odd, then n is even. We start out by
assuming that n is even, and can be substituted with 2x. From this we can deduce that:
7(2x) 5 =
14x 5 =
14 x 4 1=

Christoffer Werge (10832)

Lasse Srensen (09421)

Hand-in 3

13-09-2013

2(7x 2) 1
Since 7x 2 is an integer, 7n 5 is odd. Since the statement If 7n 5 is odd, then n is even is
logically equivalent to If n is odd, then 7n 5 is even, we have proved the statement using proof
by contrapositive. Q.E.D
Part C: Proof by contradiction.
We will now assume to the contrary that there exists and even integer n, such that 7n-5 is even.
Since n is even, we can substitute n by 2x. From this we can deduce that:
7(2x) 5 =
14x 5 =
14 x 4 1=
2(7x 2) 1
Since 7x 2 is an integer, 7n-5 is odd. This contradicts our previous statement, and thus the reverse,
that if n is even, then 7n -5 is odd, must be true. Therefore it has been proved by contradiction
Q.E.D

Exercise 7:
We have to show that there exists two different irrational numbers A and B such that AB is rational.
We will now consider the irrational numbers A = sqrt(2) and B = 2sqrt(2). Ab would then be 4. So two
distinct irrational numbers, can produce a rational number.

Exercise 8:
We need to disprove the statement: There is an integer n such that n4 + n3 + n2 + n is odd. We will do
this using a proof by cases:
Case 1: n is even
If n is even it can be substituted by 2x. From this we can deduce that:
(2x)4 + (2x)3 + (2x)2 + (2x) =
2(x4 + x3 + x2 + x)
Since x4 + x3 + x2 + x is an integer, it must follow that n4 + n3 + n2 + n is even for the case that n is
even. Thus no even n, can make n4 + n3 + n2 + n odd.
Case 1: n is odd
If n is odd it can be substituted by 2x +1 . From this we can deduce that:
4

Christoffer Werge (10832)

Lasse Srensen (09421)

Hand-in 3

13-09-2013

(2x + 1)4 + (2x +1)3 + (2x +1)2 + (2x +1) =

16x4 + 40x3 + 40x2 + 18x + 4 =
2(8x4 + 20x3 + 20x2 + 9x + 2)
Since 8x4 + 20x3 + 20x2 + 9x + 2 is an integer it must follow that n4 + n3 + n2 + n is even for the case
that n is odd. Thus no odd n, can make n4 + n3 + n2 + n odd.
No we have tried with both n being even and n being odd, and we could produce no odd number. So
it must follow that we have disproved the sentence: There is an integer n such that n4 + n3 + n2 + n is
odd