Math 335 Portfolio

Jean Marie Linhart

January 2019

1 Induction Proofs
1.1 Ordinary Induction
Exercise 1. Prove, for all natural numbers n, that
n
X n(n + 1)
k = 1 + 2 + 3 + ··· + n = (1)
k=0
2

Proof. We prove this by induction on n ∈ N. In the base case, n = 0, and (1) becomes
n 0
X X 0(1) n(n + 1)
k= k=0= =
k=0 k=0
2 2
n+1
X (n + 1)(n + 2)
Now, let n > 0 be arbitrary, and assume (1). We show k= . To that
k=0
2
end note
n+1 n
!
X X
k= k + (n + 1) (sum definition)
k=0 k=0
n(n + 1)
= + (n + 1) (induction hypothesis)
2
n(n + 1) 2n + 2
= + (common denominator)
2 2
2
n + n 2n + 2
= + (distribute)
2 2
n2 + 3n + 2
= (combine like terms)
2
(n + 1)(n + 2)
= (factor the numerator)
2

n
X n(n + 1)
In all cases, (1) is true, so ∀n ∈ N, k=
k=0
2