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UNDERSTANDING PROOF
Understanding Proof
Understanding
Simply clearer
Explanation, Examples and Solutions for
Proof
A-Level Mathematics and
A-Level Further Mathematics
Edited by Dr Tom Bennison and Dr Edward Hall
Explanation, Examples and
Proof is central to the new unified A-Level curriculum and to Further Maths and
indeed, all mathematical thinking. As such the Tarquin A-Level materials have been Solutions for A-Level Mathematics
developed with proof as the core theme. Now we are delighted to enhance the core texts
with a guide to proof for students… and for their teachers too. Content from the core text and A-Level Further Mathematics
has been significantly revised and updated and supplemented with new content.
Contents:
Expertly written and edited by Tom Bennison and Ed Hall, this book is an essential
teaching, learning and revision guide, with a free online version available to all
purchasers for a year.
tarquin
Featuring
extended
www.tarquingroup.com questions
Edited by Tom Bennison and Edward Hall
Understanding Proof
Explanation, Examples and Solutions for
A-Level Mathematics and
A-Level Further Mathematics
The Tarquin A-Level series addresses the new curriculum in a fresh, non-board
specific way that will provide teachers and students with new perspectives on
topics, with the Tarquin eReader version providing interactive applets to assist.
Picture Credits
Figure 4.1(a), Page 23, Public domain;
Figure 4.1(b), Page 23, Public domain;
Figure 4.2, Page 31, Shutterstock Image;
Figure 5.1, Page 47, Public domain;
Figure 6.1(a), Page 65, Public domain;
Figure 6.1(b), Page 65, Public domain;
Figure 7.1, Page 96, Public domain
Published by Tarquin Book ISBN 978 1 91109 378 7 Ebook ISBN 978 1 91109 379 4
www.tarquingroup.com
This book may only be copied by licencees by agreement, under a Schools Collective
Licensing and on terms set by the Publisher.
First printing, March 2018
Contents
1 Introduction to Proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 Mathematical Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.1 Statements and Predicates 13
3.2 Implication 17
4 Direct Proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.1 Examples of Direct Proof 24
4.2 Proof by Exhaustion 29
4.3 Proofs of Statements Involving the Positive Integers 32
4.4 Disproof by Counter Example 33
4.5 Direct Proofs From A-Level Mathematics 35
5 Indirect Proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.1 Proof via the Contrapositive 48
5.2 Proof by Contradiction 50
6 Proof By Induction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.1 Induction for Series 67
6.2 Induction for Matrices 73
6.3 Induction for Divisibility 77
6.4 Induction for Inequalities 83
6.5 Induction for Recurrence Relations 86
6.6 Applications of Proof by Induction 88
Throughout our early schooling we are taught that mathematics is about using and manip-
ulating numbers, perhaps with some application in mind and sometimes with seemingly
none. Of course, this is a part of what mathematics is about, but it is not the whole
story. A professional mathematician is not somebody who sits around thinking about
large numbers, for example. A mathematician is somebody who formulates conjectures
about observations and then tries to show if these conjectures are true or false. In this way,
a mathematician is similar to any other scientist, but rather than performing experiments
to prove their claims, mathematicians rely on logic and reason in their proofs. This is per-
haps the distinction between mathematics and other sciences, once a statement has been
proved mathematically, the logic is undeniable and the statement will remain true forever
more; the conjecture has become a theorem.
Perhaps the most familiar theorem of all is Pythagoras’ theorem that relates the lengths
of the sides of a triangle. Pythagoras lived in the 6th century BC (although it is likely his
theorem was known well before this), but his theorem remains as true today as it did all
that time ago and it is just as useful, not just for its applications, but also for providing
the building blocks for the proof of more elaborate conjectures and theorems. In contrast,
other scientists build up a weight of evidence in support of a theory, but the theory is
never proven for definite. A classic example is Newton’s Laws, which provide a good
approximation the movement and interaction of objects under certain circumstances, but
they were improved and extended by Leonhard Euler (ca. 1750) and then again by Albert
Einstein in the early 20th century when he developed his theory of Special Relativity. In
other sciences, theories evolves, whereas, in maths they remain for all time.
It might be tempting to think that, with the history of mathematics stretching back many
millennia, nearly everything has already been proved. This is actually far from the truth;
as time has gone on, more and more branches of mathematics have developed and more
and more questions have been posed that remain unanswered. In the year 2000, the Clay
6 Chapter 1. Introduction to Proof
Mathematics Institute offered prizes of $1 000 000 for anybody who could solve one of 7
outstanding mathematical problems (https://www.claymath.org). To this day (February
2018), only one of these problem has been solved, the Poincaré conjecture. The large sums
of money involved show how important these mathematical questions are and that it is
possible to earn a lot of money from mathematics.
This book is aimed at A-Level students who are just becoming acquainted with the concept
of proof and the rigour required when proving something. Clearly, there are very few results
that an A-Level student can hope to prove, but being exposed to the proofs behind well
known results will help a student gain a deeper insight and understanding of those results
and develop their capacity for logical thought. For some students who go on to study
mathematics at a higher level, this knowledge of how to formulate a proof will be essential
and exposure to the different methods of proof will be invaluable.
Each area of mathematics begins with a few results, which are either undeniable, impossible
to prove or just act as a starting point. These are called axioms; for example, the Peano
axioms define the arithmetic properties of natural numbers and include statements such as
‘0 is a natural number’ and ‘if x and y are natural numbers, then x = y implies y = x’. Once
we have a set of axioms, we can start to define other interesting objects and then begin to
prove new theorems about these new objects, which might in turn lead to more complex
definitions and further proof. A rich tapestry of mathematical ideas can quickly be built
in such a way. In order to prove new results, it is essential to have a deep understanding
of what has gone before and how proofs were set out. This is why studying simpler proofs
is essential for any mathematician. In some instances a proof can be formulaic and a
systematic approach will work, but, more often than not, proofs require some creativity.
In this book we cover the techniques of proof covered in both the Mathematics A-Level
and Further Mathematics A-Level syllabuses, including direct proof, proof by contradiction
and proof by induction. We shall also explain how these methods can be applied to other
areas of mathematics in the syllabus, for example, to geometry and trigonometry, calculus
and statistics. In doing so, we touch on proofs that are not core for either A-Level syllabus,
but are an excellent grounding for the student who intends to further their mathematical
or scientific study.
2. Exploring Methods of Proof
Before we can state the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality, we must define what the
arithmetic mean and geometric means are.
In this case the name arises due to the numbers a, mg and b forming a geometric se-
quence.
8 Chapter 2. Exploring Methods of Proof
(a − b)2 ≥ 0,
⇒ a2 − 2ab + b2 ≥ 0,
⇒ a2 + 2ab + b2 ≥ 4ab,
⇒ (a + b)2 ≥ 4ab,
1
⇒ (a + b)2 ≥ ab,
4
1 √
⇒ (a + b) ≥ ab.
2
Proof Tip
It is common to see “proofs” similar to the following.
1 √
(a + b) ≥ ab
2
1
(a + b)2 ≥ ab
4
(a + b)2 ≥ 4ab
a2 + 2ab + b2 ≥ 4ab
a2 − 2ab + b2 ≥ 0
(a − b)2 ≥ 0
Here the result has been assumed and then a sequence of deductions to a true statement
has been made. This is not valid; to prove something in a deductive fashion we must
proceed to the result, not start from it. We must also provide some indication of how
we have gone from one line to the next, which has not been done in this case.
2.2 Graphical Proof 9
a b
ab
ab a
ab
ab b
The larger square (of side length a + b) has an area greater than the sum of the area of the
four rectangles for any a = b. If a = b then the areas are the same. Hence,
1 √
(a + b)2 ≥ 4ab ⇒ (a + b) ≥ ab,
2
1
2 (a + b)
R 1
2 (a − b) P
Since the triangle RP Q is right angled, we can apply Pythagoras’ Theorem to find the
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10 Chapter 2. Exploring Methods of Proof
Since the hypotenuse RQ will always have a length greater than that of the perpendicular
√
P Q (except in the degenerate case when they coincide) we have that 12 (a + b) ≥ ab, thus
proving the result.
Finally, we can also use the image shown in the Geogebra interactive above to derive
a proof.
D
E
A F C B
a b
Now, the length of h must be less than CD, the radius of the circle. Hence, the result is
shown,
√ 1
ab ≤ (a + b).
2
Note that equality occurs when a = b.
2.3 Proof by Contradiction 11
Proof Tip
It could be argued that an advantage of this proof over others in this chapter is how
easy it is to see that we have equality if a = b.
Since the square of any number is non-negative, the final line above is a contradiction and
we can conclude that the result holds.
This theorem can be proved using a technique known as mathematical induction. For this
result we proceed as follows.
√
Let P (n) be the statement “ n1 (a1 + a2 + · · · + an ) ≥ n a a ···a
1 2 n ”
Step 1: We prove the result for the base case n = 2. In this case the result is the
same as the previous result we have proved, and so we know it to be true.
Step 3: We now show that the truth of P (k) follows from the truth of P (k − 1).
Without loss of generality we assume that a1 ≤ a2 ≤ · · · ≤ ak . For clarity we will denote
12 Chapter 2. Exploring Methods of Proof
√
the geometric mean by GM , i.e. GM := k a1 a2 · · · ak . It is clear that a1 ≤ GM ≤ ak , and
since a1 + ak ≥ aGM
1 ak
+ GM ,
a1 ak
0 ≤ a1 + ak − GM −
GM
a1
= (GM − ak ) + (ak − GM )
GM
1
= (GM − a1 )(ak − GM ).
GM
a2 + · · · + ak + a1 ak √
k−1
GM
≥ GM k−1
k−1
= GM.
Hence,
a1 ak
a2 + · · · + ak−1 + ≥ (k − 1)GM
GM
a2 + · · · + ak−1 + aGM
1 ak
+ GM
⇒ ≥ GM
k
a1 + a2 + · · · ak
⇒ ≥ GM.
k
a1 ak
In the last line above we used our established fact that a1 + ak ≥ GM + GM . We have
now shown that P (k) follows from P (k − 1).
Step 4: Since we have shown the result to be true for n = 2, and that if the result
is true for n = k − 1 it is also true for n = k, the result is true for all positive integers
n ≥ 2 by the principle of mathematical induction.
Remark
This is the simplest inductive proof of the generalised arithmetic-geometric men inequal-
ity that the authors are aware of. It is due to an article “The Arithmetic Mean?Geometric
Mean Inequality: A New Proof” by Kong-Ming Chong pulished in 1976 in “Mathematics
Magazine”
At first sight this proof appears complex; mathematical induction will be covered in more
detail in Chapter 6.
3. Mathematical Language
Mathematical arguments are precise and unambiguous. We must learn how to use mathe-
matical language correctly in order to produce sensible mathematical arguments. In this
chapter, we introduce and practise using mathematical language correctly.
3.1.1 Negation
As we require statements to be true of false, we can introduce the notion of negation. Given
a statement A, ¬A is read “not A”. Some examples are:
• If A: “It is raining” then ¬A: “It is NOT raining”.
• If B: 4 > 3 then ¬B: 4 ≤ 3.
Table 3.1 is called the truth table for negation, it shows that ¬A is true (T) or false (F),
when A is false or true, respectively.
Exploring the Variety of Random
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