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9 Exercises: What Is Wrong With The Following "Proofs"?

This document provides an example proof that 0 does not have a multiplicative inverse in the real numbers R. It assumes that 0 does have a multiplicative inverse x, which would mean that 0x=1. However, it is known that for all real numbers x, 0x=0. It also states that 0 does not equal 1. Therefore, 0 does not have a multiplicative inverse. The document then asks what is wrong with two example "proofs", without providing the proofs.

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omgcharlie12
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59 views1 page

9 Exercises: What Is Wrong With The Following "Proofs"?

This document provides an example proof that 0 does not have a multiplicative inverse in the real numbers R. It assumes that 0 does have a multiplicative inverse x, which would mean that 0x=1. However, it is known that for all real numbers x, 0x=0. It also states that 0 does not equal 1. Therefore, 0 does not have a multiplicative inverse. The document then asks what is wrong with two example "proofs", without providing the proofs.

Uploaded by

omgcharlie12
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Here’s an example:

Using the field axioms, prove that 0 has no multiplicative inverse in R.

Suppose that 0 does have a multiplicative inverse. This means

∃x s.t. 0.x = 1

But we know that


0x = 0 ∀x ∈ R
and
0 6= 1 #
∴ 0.x has no multiplicative inverse. 

9 Exercises: What is wrong with the following “proofs”?

Example 1. Prove that ∀x 6= 0 ∈ R,



1
= 1 .
x |x|


1 1
=
x |x|
1
x≥0 ⇐⇒ ≥0
x
1 1
so =
x x

1
x<0 ⇐⇒ <0
x
1 1
so − =
x −x
1
= − 
x

16

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