STRONG

MATHEMATICAL
INDUCTION
By Zobiya Shaikh
Who invented strong
Mathematical Induction?

• Giovanni Vacca (1872-1953) was an Italian

mathematician, sinologist and historian of
science.
• Vacca studied mathematics and graduated from
the universities of Genoa.
• He also invented complex number iteration for
pi (π).
• Vacca published his two major contributions to
mathematics in 1910 and 1926, on series
expansion (later named Vacca series) of the
Euler constant.
STRONG INDUCTION
• Strong induction is a variant of standard induction.
• In many ways, strong induction is similar to standard induction.
• However there is a difference in the inductive hypothesis i.e.
• In standard induction we assume that P (K) is true to prove P (KH).
• In strong induction we assume that all of P (1), P (2)… P (K) are true to prove P
(KH)
Proof by Strong Induction
• Step 1: Demonstrate the base ease.
This is where you verify that P (KO) is true.
In most cases KO = 1.

• Step 2: Prove the inductive step

This is where you assume that all of P (KO), P (KO + 1), P (KO + 2)…, P (K) are true.
This shows that P (K + 1) is true.
 EXAMPLE
Q. Let an be the sequence defined by a1 = 1, a2 = 8 and an = an - 1 + 2 an - 2
for n ≥ 3.

Prove that an = 3.2n - 1 + 2(-1) Ɐ n ∈ N.

Proof: We will prove by strong induction that n ∈ N.

an = 3.2n - 1 + 2(-1) → eq. i.
Base case:

When n = 1
a1 = 3.21 - 1 + 2 (-1)1
a1 = 3 – 2 = 1.
 
When n = 2
a2 = 3.22 - 1 + 2 (-1)2
a2 = 3.2 + 2
a2 = 8

Introduction Step: Let K ∈ N with K ≥ 2 and (eq. i.) is true for n = 1, 2… K.

Then we have to prove for n = K + 1.
•ak  + 1 = ak + 2ak - 1
= 3.2k – 1 + 2. (-1)k + 2 [3.2k – 2 + 2. (-1)k – 1]
= 3.2k – 1 + 2. (-1)k + 3.2k – 1 + 4 (-1)k – 1
= 6.2k – 1 + 2 [(-1)k + 2 (-1) k – 1]
= 3 (2.2k – 1) + 2 [(-1)k + k ]
= 3.2k + 2 [(-1) (-1)k ]
ak + 1 = 3.2k + 2 [(-1) k+1 ]
Hence proved
eq. (i.) holds true for n = K+1.
By strong induction that eq. (i.) is true for all n ∈ N.