Problems for week 3

6. Prove by induction on n that, for any real number a 6= 1 and for integers
n 0,
n
X 1 an+1
ai = .
i=0
1a

7. How many elements are there in each of the following sets?

(i) , (ii) {}, (iii) {{}, }, (iv) {, }.

8. The following are standard subsets of the set of real numbers; they are known
as intervals with endpoints the real numbers a and b.

The open interval: (a, b) = { x R | a < x < b }.

The closed interval: [a, b] = { x R | a x b }.

The right half-open interval: [a, b) = { x R | a x < b }.

The left half-open interval: (a, b] = { x R | a < x b }.

(i) Prove that 0 6 (0, 1), 0 [0, 1], 0 [0, 1) and 0 6 (0, 1].

(ii) Find the elements of the set [a, b] \ (a, b).

(iii) Prove that (a, b) = if and only if a b. [Hint: Prove the contrapositive.]
Find the corresponding results for the other real intervals with endpoints a
and b.

(iv) Prove that, if a b, then [a, b] (c, d) if and only if c < a and b < d.

9. For any sets C and D, prove that

(i) (C = C D) (C D),

(ii) C = (C D) C.

[Venn diagrams may help, but are not sufficient!]

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10 . Prove or disprove the following statements.
(i) m, n Z+ , m n.

(ii) m, n Z+ , m n.

(iii) m Z+ , n Z+ , m n.

(iv) m Z+ , n Z+ , m n.

(v) n Z+ , m Z+ , m n.

(vi) n Z+ , m Z+ , m n.