MATHEMATICAL INDUCTION

BY DAVID GREEN
• Mathematical induction is a way of proving
a mathematical statement by saying that if the
first case is true, then all other cases are true,
too. So, think of a chain of dominoes. If you tip
the first domino, what happens to all the other
dominoes
Mathematical induction has two steps

 The first is to prove that our first case is true.

 The second is to prove that if any other case is true,

then the following case is also true. It's like a chain
effect. If any one case is true, then the next is true
also.

 NOTE :And if this is the case, then it means that all

the cases in any one particular problem are true
Practical Experience
• Just like with our falling dominoes, if the first
domino falls, then all the dominoes will fall
because if any one domino falls, it means that
the next domino will fall.
•.
 How to Use It

• Show the first case, usually n = 1, is true.

• Assume that the case n = k is true, so therefore

the case n = k + 1 is also true
Example 1

Use mathematical induction to prove that

1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n = n (n + 1) / 2
for all positive integers n.
Example
• Let the statement P (n) be
1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n = n (n + 1) / 2

• STEP 1: We first show that p (1) is true.

Left Side = 1
• Both sides of the statement are equal hence p (1)
is true.
• STEP 2: We now assume that p (k) is true
1 + 2 + 3 + ... + k = k (k + 1) / 2

• and show that p (k + 1) is true by adding k + 1 to

both sides of the above

• 1+ 2 + 3 + ... + k + (k + 1) = k (k + 1) / 2 + (k + 1)
= (k + 1)(k / 2 + 1)
= (k + 1)(k + 2) / 2
• The last statement may be written as
1 + 2 + 3 + ... + k + (k + 1) = (k + 1)(k + 2) / 2

Which is the statement p(k + 1).