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Mathematical Induction

The document explains the principle of mathematical induction, which is a method used to prove statements about positive integers by completing a basis step and an inductive step. It includes examples demonstrating how to apply this principle to prove propositions such as the sum of the first n positive integers and the divisibility of n^3 - n by 3. The document emphasizes the importance of the inductive hypothesis in establishing the truth of P(k + 1) based on P(k).

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Abowolo Muchocho gh
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13 views8 pages

Mathematical Induction

The document explains the principle of mathematical induction, which is a method used to prove statements about positive integers by completing a basis step and an inductive step. It includes examples demonstrating how to apply this principle to prove propositions such as the sum of the first n positive integers and the divisibility of n^3 - n by 3. The document emphasizes the importance of the inductive hypothesis in establishing the truth of P(k + 1) based on P(k).

Uploaded by

Abowolo Muchocho gh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mathematical

Induction

CSC 315 – Dr. Maame Gyamfua Asante-Mensah


Mathematical Induction
In general, mathematical induction can be used to prove statements that assert that
P(n) is true for all positive integers n, where P(n) is a propositional function.
A proof by mathematical induction has two parts, a basis step, where we show that
P(1) is true, and an inductive step, where we show that for all positive integers k, if
P(k) is true, then P(k + 1) is true.

PRINCIPLE OF MATHEMATICAL INDUCTION To prove that P(n) is true for all


positive integers n, where P(n) is a propositional function, we complete two steps:
BASIS STEP: We verify that P(1) is true.
INDUCTIVE STEP: We show that the conditional statement P(k) ~ P(k + 1) is true
for all positive integers k
Inductive Hypothesis
To complete the inductive step of a proof using the principle of mathematical
induction, we assume that P(k) is true for an arbitrary positive integer k and
show that under this assumption, P(k + 1) must also be true. The assumption that
P(k) is true is called the inductive hypothesis.

EXAMPLE Show that if n is a positive integer, then


1+2+…+n=
Solution: Let P(n) be the proposition that the sum of the first n positive integers
is n(n + 1)/2. We must do two things to prove that P(n) is true for n = 1, 2, 3, ....
Namely, we must show that P(l) is true and that the conditional statement P(k)
implies P(k + 1) is true for k = 1,2.3, ....
Example Cont’d

BASIS STEP: P(1) is true, because 1 =


INDUCTIVE STEP: For the inductive hypothesis we assume that P(k) holds for
an arbitrary positive integer k. That is, we assume that
1+ 2 +…+ k = .

Under this assumption, it must be shown that P(k + 1) is true, namely, that
1+ 2 + … + k + (k + 1) = = is also true.
Cont’d
When we add k+1 to both sides, of the equation in P(k) we obtain.
1+ 2 + … + k + (k + 1) = + (k + 1)
=
=
This last equation shows that P(k + 1) is true under the
assumption that P(k) is true. This completes the inductive step.
Example 2
Use mathematical induction to show that
1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2n = 2n + 1 – 1
for all nonnegative integers n.

Solution: Let P(n) be the proposition that 1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2n = 2n+ 1 – 1 for the
integer n.
BASIS STEP: P(0) is true because 20 = 1 = 21 - l. This completes the basis step.
INDUCTIVE STEP: For the inductive hypothesis, we assume that P(k) is true.
That is, we assume that
1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2k = 2k + 1 – 1
Ex 2 Cont’d
To carry out the inductive step using this assumption, we must show that when
we assume that P(k) is true, then P(k + I) is also true. That is, we must show that
1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2k + 2k + 1 = 2(k+1)+1 – 1 = 2k + 2 – 1
assuming the inductive hypothesis P(k). Under the assumption of P(k), we see
that
1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2k + 2k + 1 = (1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2k ) + 2k + 1
= (2k + 1 – 1) + 2k + 1
= 2· 2k + 1 – 1
= 2k + 2 – 1.
Note that we used the inductive hypothesis in the second equation in this string
of equalities to replace 1+ 2+ 22 + ... + 2k by 2k + 1 – 1.
Example 3
Use mathematical induction to prove that n3 - n is divisible by 3 whenever n is a
positive integer
Solution: To construct the proof, let P(n) denote the proposition: "n3 - n is
divisible by 3."
BASIS STEP: The statement P(l) is true because 13 - 1 = 0 is divisible by 3. This
completes the basis step.
INDUCTIVE STEP: For the inductive hypothesis we assume that P(k) is true;
that is, we assume that k3 - k is divisible by 3. To complete the inductive step,
we must show that when we assume the inductive hypothesis, it follows that
P (k + I), the statement that (k + 1)3 - (k + 1) is divisible by 3, is also true. That
is, we must show that (k + 1)3 - (k + l) is divisible by 3.
This completes the inductive step.

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