INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

Mathematics: analysis and approaches

MAA HL

EXERCISES MAA HL 1.1-1.2

NUMBERS – METHODS OF PROOF

Compiled by Christos Nikolaidis

[Please check the exercises from MAA SL 1.1-1.2 first]

A. Practice questions

1. [Maximum mark: 7] [without GDC]

(a) Express the following numbers to 3 s.f
(i) 0.030473 (ii) 2034999 (iii) 2.3011 [2]
(b) Let x  1.3  10 5 and y  2  10 5 . Write down
(i) write down the exact value of x  y
x
(ii) write down the value of in the standard form a  10 k , where
y
1  a  10 , k  Z and a correct to 3 s.f. [3]
(c) The value of A given to 3 s.f. is 2.36
Write down the range of the possible values of A . [2]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

2. [Maximum mark: 7] [without GDC]

Integers divided by 2 leave a remainder 0 or 1; thus any integer has one of the forms
2n (even)
2n+1 (odd)
Integers divided by 3 leave a remainder 0, 1 or 2; thus any integer has one of the forms
3n (multiples of 3)
3n+1 (leave remainder 1)
3n+2 (leave remainder 2)
(a) Prove that the sum of two even numbers is an even number. [1]
(b) Prove that the sum of two odd numbers is an even number. [1]
(c) Prove that the sum of two multiples of 3 is a multiple of 3. [1]
(d) Prove by using a counterexample that the sum of two numbers which
are not multiples of 3 is not necessarily a multiple of 3. [1]
(e) Prove that the square of any integer cannot have the form 3n+2. [3]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

3. [Maximum mark: 10] [without GDC]

a
Rational numbers, by definition, have the form of a fraction where a  Z and b  Z * .
b
(a) Given that x and y are rational numbers, prove that
(i) x  y is a rational number. (ii) xy is a rational number. [4]
(b) Given that x and y are irrational numbers, use a counterexample to prove that
(i) x  y is not always irrational. (ii) xy is not always irrational. [2]
(c) Given that x is rational and y irrational, use contradiction to prove that
(i) x  y is irrational (ii) xy is irrational (provided x  0 ) [4]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

4. [Maximum mark: 13] [without GDC]

(a) Prove by using contradiction that the following numbers are irrational
3
(i) 3 (ii) 2 (iii) log 2 3 [9]
(b) Given the results in (a) prove also by contradiction that
(i) 31 / 2  3 1 is an irrational number.
(ii) log 2 18 is an irrational number. [4]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

5. [Maximum mark: 8] [without GDC]

(a) Prove the identity a 5  1  (a  1)(a 4  a 3  a 2  a  1) [2]

x
(b) By letting a  deduce an identity for x 5  y 5 [2]
y

(c) Write down similar identities for a n  1 and x n  y n , n  Z  [2]

(d) Replace y with  y in the last identity to deduce a similar result for x n  y n

where n is odd. [2]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

6. [Maximum mark: 8] [without GDC]

(a) Prove the identity 2 x 3  7 x 2  14 x  5  ( x  5)(2 x 2  3 x  1) [1]

(b) Given that 3 x 3  13 x 2  3x  35  ( x  5)( ax 2  bx  c) find the values of a, b, c . [2]

(c) Given that ax 3  bx 2  23 x  c  ( x  5)(2 x 2  dx  2) find the values of a, b, c, d . [2]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

7. [Maximum mark: 4] [without GDC]

Prove the following statement:
For all integers n , if n 2  2n  5 is odd then n is even.

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8. [Maximum mark: 4] [without GDC]

Prove the following statements
(a) There exist no integers a and b for which 6a  2b  35 [2]
(b) There exist no integers a and b for which 6a  9b  35 [2]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

9. [Maximum mark: 8] [without GDC]

Consider the equation of integers
abcd
(a) Use a deductive proof to prove the statements
(i) “if a, b, c are all even then d is also even;
(ii) “if a, b, c are all odd then d is also odd” [3]
(b) Use a counterexample to disprove the statement
“if d is odd then a, b, c are all odd”. [1]
(c) State whether the following statement is true or false and prove your claim.
“if d is even then a, b, c are all even”. [2]
(d) Use contradiction to prove the statement
“if d is even then at least one of a, b, c is even”. [2]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

10. [Maximum mark: 9] [without GDC]

Suppose a, b, c  Z . Prove by contradiction that

(a) If a  b  19 , then a  10 or b  10 [3]

(b) If a  b  c  19 , then a  7 or b  7 or c  7 [3]

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11. [Maximum mark: 4] [without GDC]

Suppose a, b are positive real numbers. Prove the statement

If ab  c then a  c or b  c .

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

12. [Maximum mark: 4] [without GDC]

Suppose a, b  Z . Prove that
if 5a  3b  81 , then a  11 or b  11

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13. [Maximum mark: 6] [without GDC]

In a birthday party there are 50 people who can shake hands with one another.
(a) Show that there is always a pair of people who will shake hands with the same
number of people. [3]

Each person is asked to write on a piece of paper their favorite day of the weak.
(b) Show that at least one of the days will appear at least 8 times. [3]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

14. [Maximum mark: 8] [without GDC]

x3
Let f ( x)  2 x  3 , g ( x)  and h( x)  x 2  1
2x  4

(a) Show that f ( x1 )  f ( x 2 )  x1  x 2 [2]

(b) Show that g ( x1 )  g ( x 2 )  x1  x 2 [3]

(c) Show that x1  x 2  g ( x1 )  g ( x 2 ) [2]

(d) Show that x1  x 2 

 h( x1 )  h( x 2 ) by using a counterexample. [1]

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 MAA HL 1.1-1.2 NUMBERS - METHODS OF PROOF

15. [Maximum mark: 4] [without GDC]

(a) For any x, y , z  R , prove that x 2  y 2  z 2  0  xyz  0 [2]
(b) Is the converse of (a) true? Justify your answer. [2]

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16. [Maximum mark: 8] [without GDC]

x2  y2
(a) Prove that  xy for any x, y  R [2]
2
(b) Prove that x 2  y 2  z 2  xy  yz  zx for any x, y , z  R [3]

x2  y2  z2
(c) Prove that  yz  zx  xy for any x, y , z  R [3]
2

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