Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971.

COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

T HIS PUBLICATION IS NEITHER OFFICIAL NOR AUTHORIZED .

This is a Complete Answer Key for the book Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang.
It was created with the sole purpose of helping students find a more or
less reliable source for solutions to the exercises proposed in the book.
NO FINANCIAL GAIN IS INTENDED HERE .

Created by Renato de Melo.

Email: renatodemelo1958@gmail.com.
Last modified: 2023-12-14

Part One ALGEBRA

1 Numbers
§ 2. RULES FOR ADDITION
A NSWERS TO S ELECTED E XERCISES
[The exercises with numbers in bold show answers to the 'selected
exercises' from the book itself; the others show my own answers.]
EXERCISES pg 013 (029)
Justify each step, using commutativity and associativity in proving the
following identities.
1. ( a + b ) + ( c + d ) = ( a + d ) + ( b + c )
(a+b)+(c+d) = a+b+c+d by associativity
= a+b+d+c by commutativity
= a+d+b+c by commutativity
= ( a + d ) + ( b + c ) by associativity
2. ( a + b ) + ( c + d ) = ( a + c ) + ( b + d )
(a+b)+(c+d) = a+b+c+d by associativity
= a+c+b+d by commutativity
= ( a + c ) + ( b + d ) by associativity
3. ( a − b ) + ( c − d ) = ( a + c ) + ( − b − d )
(a−b)+(c−d) = a−b+c−d by associativity
= a+c−b−d by commutativity
= ( a + c ) + ( − b − d ) by associativity

4. ( a − b ) + ( c − d ) = ( a + c ) − ( b + d )
(a−b)+(c−d) = a−b+c−d by associativity
= a+c−b−d by commutativity
= ( a + c ) − ( b + d ) by associativity and N5

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 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

5. ( a − b ) + ( c − d ) = ( a − d ) + ( c − b )
(a−b)+(c−d) = a−b+c−d by associativity
= a−d+c−b by commutativity
= ( a − d ) + ( c − b ) by associativity
6. ( a − b ) + ( c − d ) = − ( b + d ) + ( a + c )
(a−b)+(c−d) = a−b+c−d by associativity
= −b+a+c−d by commutativity
= −b+a−d+c by commutativity
= −b−d+a+c by commutativity
= − ( b + d ) + ( a + c ) by associativity and N5
7. ( a − b ) + ( c − d ) = − ( b + d ) − ( − a − c )
(a−b)+(c−d) = a−b+c−d by associativity
= −b+a+c−d by commutativity
= −b+a−d+c by commutativity
= −b−d+a+c by commutativity
= − ( b + d ) − ( − a − c ) by associativity and N5
8. ( ( x + y ) + z ) + w = ( x + z ) + ( y + w )
((x+y)+z)+w = x+y+z+w by associativity
= x+z+y+w by commutativity
= ( x + z ) + ( y + w ) by associativity
9. ( x − y ) − ( z − w ) = ( x + w ) − y − z
(x−y)−(z−w) = x−y−z+w by associativity and N5
= x+w−y−z by commutativity
= ( x + w ) − y − z by associativity
10. ( x − y ) − ( z − w ) = ( x − z ) + ( w − y )
(x−y)−(z−w) = x−y−z+w by associativity and N5
= x−z+w−y by commutativity
= ( x − z ) + ( w − y ) by associativity
11. Show that − ( a + b + c ) = − a + ( − b ) + ( − c ).
It suffices to show that ( a + b + c ) + ( − a ) + ( − b ) + ( − c ) = 0.
But ( a + b + c ) + ( − a ) + ( − b ) + ( − c ) =

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 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

= a+b+c −a−b−c by associativity

= a+b−a+c−b−c
= a−a+b+c−b−c
= a−a+b−b+c−c }
= ( a − a ) + ( b − b ) + ( c − c ) by associativity
by commutativity

= 0+0+0=0.

12. Show that − ( a − b − c ) = − a + b + c .

Same type of proof. We must show that ( a − b − c ) + ( − a + b + c ) = 0.
We have: ( a − b − c ) + ( − a + b + c ) =
= a−b−c −a+b+c by associativity
= a−b−a−c+b+c
= a−a−b−c+b+c
= a−a+b−b+c−c }
= ( a − a ) + ( b − b ) + ( c − c ) by associativity
by commutativity

= 0+0+0=0.

13. Show that − ( a − b ) = b − a .

Same type of proof. We must show that ( a − b ) + b − a = 0. We have:
a−b+b−a = a−b−a+b
= a−a−b+b by commutativity
= ( a − a ) + ( − b + b ) by associativity
= 0+0=0

Solve for x in the following equations.

14. − 2 + x = 4 ⇔ x = 4 + 2 ⇔ x = 6

15. 2 − x = 5 ⇔ − x = 5 − 2 ⇔ x = − 3

16. x − 3 = 7 ⇔ x = 7 + 3 ⇔ x = 10

17. − x + 4 = − 1 ⇔ − x = − 1 − 4 ⇔ x = 5

18. 4 − x = 8 ⇔ − x = 8 − 4 ⇔ x = − 4

19. − 5 − x = − 2 ⇔ − x = − 2 + 5 ⇔ x = − 3

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 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

20. − 7 + x = − 10 ⇔ x = − 10 + 7 ⇔ x = − 3

21. − 3 + x = 4 ⇔ x = 4 + 3 ⇔ x = 7

22. Prove the cancellation law for addition:

If a + b = a + c , then b = c .

Let a + b = a + c . Adding − a to both sides, we get − a + a + b =

= − a + a + c , that is, ( − a + a ) + b = ( − a + a ) + c by associativity. Then
0 + b = 0 + c, i.e., b = c.

23. Prove: If a + b = a, then b = 0.

Add − a to both sides of the equation a + b = a. We obtain − a + a + b =
= − a + a = 0, so 0 + b = 0 and b = 0.
P ROOF 2. [A proof by myself]
−b+a+b=a−b adding − b to each member
a+b−b=a−b by commutativity
a + 0 = a + (− b ) by N5
Thus, 0 = − b or − b = 0 by the cancelation law for addition and also
− ( − b ) = 0, then ( + b ) = 0, by N4. Hence, b = 0.

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