MATH2108 HWK 2-SOLUTION

1. Let n N be a natural number. Prove that

n + 1 +

n 1 is an
irrational number.
Proof. We prove by contradiction. Suppose that

n + 1+

n 1 =
p
q
.
We may assume that p, q are positive and have no common integer
factors other than 1.
Square both sides, we have n 1 + n + 1 + 2

n
2
1 =
p
2
q
2
. So

n
2
1 =
1
2

p
2
q
2
2n

. Square both sides again, we have n

2
1 =
1
4

p
2
q
2
2n

2
, or n =
p
4
+4q
4
4p
2
q
2
. Therefore p
4
+ 4q
4
is divisible by q
2
and
hence p
4
is divisible by q
2
. This contradicts the assumption that p, q
are positive and have no common integer factors other than 1. So

n + 1 +

n 1 is an irrational number.

2. Solve the inequality

|x + 2| |x| > 1.
Solution: We discuss by three cases (i) x 2, (ii) 2 < x 0 and
(iii) x > 0.
Case (i), the inequality becomes (x + 2) (x) > 1, so 2 > 1.
Therefore the solution set in Case (i) is .
Case (ii), the inequality becomes (x + 2) (x) > 1, or 2x + 2 > 1,
so x > 1/2. But in Case (ii), we assumed 2 < x 0, so the solution
set in Case (ii) is {x > 1/2} {2 < x 0} = {1/2 < x 0}.
Case (iii), the inequality becomes (x +2) (x) > 1, or 2 > 1, which
holds for all x. But in Case (iii), we assumed x > 0, so the solution set
in Case (iii) is {x > 0}.
The total solution set is the union of the solution sets for all the
three cases: {1/2 < x 0} {x > 0} = {x > 1/2}.
1
2 MATH2108 HWK 2-SOLUTION
3. Let A and B be two subsets of R, which are both bounded above.
Dene C := {a + b : a A, b B}. Prove that
sup C = sup A + sup B.
Proof. For any element c = a + b, a A, b B, we have
c = a + b sup A + sup B.
Therefore, sup A + sup B is an upper bound of C.
Next we will show that sup A+sup B is the least one. If v is any upper
bound of C, we must have a + b v, a A, b B. Fix any b B,
we have a v b, a A. Therefore v b is an upper bound of A and
hence sup A v b. Now we have b v sup A, b B, this means
v sup A is an upper bound for B and therefore sup B v sup A. So
we have sup A+sup B v. Therefore sup A+sup B is the least upper
bound of C or sup C = sup A + sup B.