MAT 31101-College Algebra Tutorial September 14 to 20, 2024
Mathematical Proofs
1. Use a counterexample to (e) For every integer n, n2 + n is even.
(a) disprove the statement that if m and (f) For all integers a, b and c, if a + b and
n are irrational numbers, then mn is b + c are even, then a + c is even.
irrational.
(g) For every integer n, n2 is odd if and
(b) disprove the statement that ∀ inte- only if n is odd.
gers m and n, if 2m + n is odd then
m and n are both odd. (i) For all integers m and n, if the prod-
uct of m and n is even, then m is even
(c) disprove the statement that:
or n is even.
∀ R a and b, if a2 = b2 , then a = b.
5. Use the principle of mathematical induc-
2. Prove by cases that
tion to prove the following propositions,
(a) if n ∈ Z, then n3 − n is even. ∀ n ∈ Z+ :
(b) 9n2 + 3n − 2 is even ∀ n ∈ Z+ . 5n(n + 1)
i. 5 + 10 + 15 + · · · + 5n =
2
3. Prove by contradiction that
ii. 1 + 5 + 9 + · · · + (4n − 3) = n(2n − 1)
(a) if x3 is odd, then x must be odd. n2 (n + 1)2
iii. 13 + 23 + 33 + · · · + n3 =
(b) there are no integers a and b such 4
that 10a + 15b = 1. 2(22n − 1)
iv. 2 + 23 + 25 + · · · + 22n−1 =
√ 3
(c) 3 is irrational.
3n+1 − 3
v. 3 + 32 + 33 + · · · + 3n =
4. Prove the following statements: 2
6. Prove that 7n − 1 is divisible by 6, for n ≥ 1.
(a) If n is a positive integer, then n is odd
if and only if 5n + 6 is odd. 7. prove that 32n+1 + 2n+2 is divisible by 7, for
(b) If n is an integer and n3 + 5 is odd, n≥1.
then n is even. 8. Prove that 15 divides 42n − 1, for n ≥ 1.
(c) ∀ r ∈ R, if r3 is irrational then r is irra-
9. Verify that ∀ n ≥ 1, the sum of the squares
tional.
of the first 2n positive integers is given by
(d) The sum of any two even integers is
n(2n + 1)(4n + 1)
even. 12 + 22 + 32 + · · · + (2n)2 =
3
