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

3 Real Numbers
§ 1 . ADDITION AND MULTIPLICATION
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 063 / 079)

1. Let E be an abbreviation for even, and let I be an abbreviation for odd. We

know that:
E + E = E,
E + I = I + E = I,
I + I = E,
EE = E,
II = I,
IE = EI = E.
a) Show that addition for E and I is associative and commutative. Show
that E plays the role of a zero element for addition. What is the additive
inverse of E ? What is the additive inverse of I ?
b) Show that multiplication for E and I is commutative and associative.
Which of E or I behaves like 1 ? Which behaves like 0 for multiplication?
Show that multiplication is distributive with respect to addition.
R EMARK . The system consisting of E and I gives an example of a system with
only two objects satisfying the basic properties of addition and multiplication.
Thus real numbers are not the only system to satisfy these properties.

The author does not show solutions to this exercise. My answers have been
adapted from two threads of the forum Mathematics Stack Exchange, despite
some obvious mistakes from the source. The threads can be accessed at:
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/3684180/proving-properties-of-a-
system-containing-only-two-objects-even-and-odd-numbers
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/4205846/show-that-addition-for-

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

odd-and-even-numbers-is-associative-and-commutative-ser?
noredirect=1&lq=1
Preliminary information. There are two, and only two, elements in the
system, then we have a set { E, I }. and have defined the operators for binary
operations ( + for addition; juxtaposition for multiplication; and = for equality)
and the required properties of addition and multiplication on them, namely:
PROP. 1: R EFLEXIVE . The equality operator implies that E = E and I = I .
PROP. 2: C LOSURE.* Results from these binary operations are always either E
or I only, that is, the only elements of the set.
All this is based on the ideas of even and odd numbers, but we don’t need to
know that to prove these facts. We have to do an exhaustive proof, but it is
not too exhausting because there are not that many possible additions and
multiplications of merely two elements.
ITEM A
Show that addition for E and I is associative.
Prove that ( a + b ) + c = a + ( b + c ), substituting a, b, c by the two
elements E , I , in each 'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I ; c = E,I;
therefore, we have eight possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E ; c = E .
( E + E ) + E = ( E ) + E = E , and
E + ( E + E ) = E + ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E + E ) + E = E + ( E + E ).
CASE 2: a = E ; b = E ; c = I .
( E + E ) + I = ( E ) + I = I , and
E + ( E + I ) = E + ( I ) = I ; thus,
( E + E ) + I = E + ( E + I ).
CASE 3: a = E ; b = I ; c = E .
( E + I ) + E = ( I ) + E = I , and
E + ( I + E ) = E + ( I ) = I ; thus,
( E + I ) + E = E + ( I + E ).
CASE 4: a = E ; b = I ; c = I .
( E + I ) + I = ( I ) + I = E , and
E + ( I + I ) = E + ( E ) = E ; thus,

* See Closure at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closure_(mathematics)

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

( E + I ) + I = E + ( I + I ).
CASE 5: a = I ; b = I ; c = I .
( I + I ) + I = ( E ) + I = I , and
I + ( I + I ) = I + ( E ) = I ; thus,
( I + I ) + I = I + ( I + I ).
CASE 6: a = I ; b = I ; c = E .
( I + I ) + E = ( E ) + E = E , and
I + ( I + E ) = I + ( I ) = E ; thus,
( I + I ) + E = I + ( I + E ).
CASE 7: a = I ; b = E ; c = I .
( I + E ) + I = ( I ) + I = E , and
I + ( E + I ) = I + ( I ) = E ; thus,
( I + E ) + I = I + ( E + I ).
CASE 8: a = I ; b = E ; c = E .
(This case is missing in the original answer.)
( I + E ) + E = ( I ) + E = I , and
I + ( E + E ) = I + ( E ) = I ; thus,
( I + E ) + E = I + ( E + E ).

Show that addition for E and I is commutative.

Prove that a + b = b + a , substituting a, b by the two elements E , I in each
'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I;
therefore, we have four possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E .
E + E = E , and E + E = E ; thus, E + E = E + E .
CASE 2: a = E ; b = I .
E + I = I , and I + E = I ; thus, E + I = I + E .
CASE 3: a = I ; b = I .
I + I = E , and I + I = E ; thus, I + I = I + I .
CASE 4: a = I ; b = E .
I + E = I , and E + I = I ; thus, I + E = E + I .

Show that E plays the role of a zero element for addition.

Prove that a + 0 = 0 + a = a , i.e., a + E = E + a = a ( 0 = E ), by
considering a = E , I :

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

CASE 1: a = E .
a + E = E + E = E = a , and E + a = E + E = E = a ; thus,
a + E = E + a = a.
CASE 2: a = I .
a + E = I + E = I = a , and E + a = E + I = I = a ; thus,
a + E = E + a = a.

Proving that I is NOT a zero element for addition.

Assuming I is a zero element ( 0 = I ), and substituting 0 in the previous
procedure:
CASE 1: a = E .
a + I = E + I = I ≠ a , and I + a = I + E = I ≠ a ; thus,
a + I = I + a ≠ a.
CASE 2: a = I .
a + I = I + I = E ≠ a , and I + a = I + I = E ≠ a ; thus,
a + I = I + a ≠ a.

What is the additive inverse of E ?

What is the additive inverse of I ?
Prove that a + b = b + a = 0 (with b denoting the additive inverse), that is,
a + b = b + a = E (0 = E , from the previous topic), by considering a = E , I :
CASE 1: a = E .
a + b = E + b = E ⇔ b = E
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise), and
b + a = b + E = E ⇔ b = E
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise); thus,

CASE 2: a = I .
a + b = I + b = E ⇔ b = I
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise), and
b + a = b + I = E ⇔ b = I
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise); thus,
Hence, the additive inverse of E is E , and the additive inverse of I is I .
Note that the additive inverse is unique for each of the elements.
ITEM B
Show that multiplication for E and I is associative.
Prove that ( a b ) c = a ( b c ), substituting a, b, c by the two elements E , I in

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

each 'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I ; c = E,I;
therefore, we have eight possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E ; c = E .
( E E ) E = ( E ) E = E , and E ( E E ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E E ) E = E ( E E ).
CASE 2: a = E ; b = E ; c = I .
( E E ) I = ( E ) I = E , and E ( E I ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E E ) I = E ( E I ).
CASE 3: a = E ; b = I ; c = E .
( E I ) E = ( E ) E = E , and E ( I E ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E I ) E = E ( I E ).
CASE 4: a = E ; b = I ; c = I .
( E I ) I = ( E ) I = E , and E ( I I ) = E ( I ) = E ; thus,
( E I ) I = E ( I I ).
CASE 5: a = I ; b = I ; c = I .
( I I ) I = ( I ) I = I , and I ( I I ) = I ( I ) = I ; thus,
( I I ) I = I ( I I ).
CASE 6: a = I ; b = I ; c = E .
( I I ) E = ( I ) E = E , and I ( I E ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I I ) E = I ( I E ).
CASE 7: a = I ; b = E ; c = I .
( I E ) I = ( E ) I = E , and I ( E I ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I E ) I = I ( E I ).
CASE 8: a = I ; b = E ; c = E .
( I E ) E = ( E ) E = E , and I ( E E ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I E ) E = I ( E E ).
W ARNING : The table below belongs to the thread Proving Properties of a
System Containing Only Two Objects Even and Odd Numbers at the forum
Mathematics Stack Exchange, whose address is on the first page.
This particular answer is wrong and confusing. The mistakes are highlighted
in bold. Compare it to my answer.
Multiplication for E and I is associative.
(EE)E = EE = E = EE = E(EE)
(EE)I = EI = E = EI = E(EI)

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

(EI )E = IE = E = E I = E(IE)
(EI)I = I I = I = EE = E(II)
(IE)E = I E = E = IE = I(EE)
(IE)I = I I = I = II = I(E I)
( I E) I = I I = I = II = I ( EI )
[ this case is repeated; missing case ( I I ) E ]
(II)I = E I = E = IE = I(II)

Show that multiplication for E and I is commutative.

Prove that a b = b a , substituting a, b by the two elements E , I in each
'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I;
therefore, we have four possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E .
E E = E , and E E = E ; thus, E E = E E .
CASE 2: a = E ; b = I .
E I = E , and I E = E ; thus, E I = I E .
CASE 3: a = I ; b = I .
I I = I , and I I = I ; thus, I I = I I .
CASE 4: a = I ; b = E .
I E = E , and E I = E ; thus, I E = E I .

Which of E or I behaves like 1 ?

Which behaves like 0 for multiplication?
Prove that 1a = a1 = a , by considering 1 = E , I and a = E , I :
CASE 1: 1 = E ; a = E .
E a = E E = E = a , and a E = E E = E = a ; thus,
Ea = aE = E = a.
CASE 2: 1 = E ; a = I .
E a = E I = E ≠ a , and a E = I E = E ≠ a ; thus,
Ea = aE = E ≠ a.
CASE 3: 1 = I ; a = E .
I a = I E = E = a , and a I = E I = E = a ; thus,
Ia = aI = E = a.

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

CASE 2: 1 = I ; a = I .
I a = I I = I = a , and a I = I I = I = a ; thus,
Ia = aI = I = a.
Hence, we conclude, from Cases 3 and 4, that I is the 1 element for
multiplication; and from Cases 1 and 2, that E is the zero element for
multiplication.

Show that multiplication is distributive with respect to addition.

The solution to this item relies on the fact that
E = E + E = I + I = EE = EI = IE
and
I = E + I = I + E = II.
Thus, we have
E(E + E) = EE = E = E + E = EE + EE
E(E + I) = EI = E = E + E = EE + EI
E(I + E) = EI = E = E + E = EI + EE
E(I + I) = EI = E = E + E = EI + EI
I(E + E) = IE = E = E + E = IE + IE
I(E + I) = II = I = E + I = IE + II
I(I*+ E) = II = I = I + E = II + IE
I(I + I) = IE = E = I + I = II + II
N OTE : The I in bold in the penultimate case is E in the original answer, but it
is obviously a mistyping.

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