[MAA 1.

7] DEDUCTIVE PROOF
SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

O. Practice questions

1. (a) ( a  b) 2  (a  b)( a  b)  a 2  ab  ab  b 2  a 2  2ab  b 2

(b) ( a  b)3  ( a  b) 2 ( a  b)  ( a 2  2ab  b 2 )( a  b)  ⋯

(c) ( a  b) 4  ( a  b)3 ( a  b)  ( a 3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b3 )( a  b)  ⋯

2. (a) LHS to RHS proof

(b) RHS to LHS proof

3. (a) For x  3 , LHS=10, RHS=10

For x  1 , LHS=2, RHS=2
(b) It is not true for any value of x, for example for x=0 LHS=1, RHS=4

4. (a) LHS = 6 x 2  6 y 2  13 xy and RHS = 6 x 2  6 y 2  13 xy

Hence LHS = RHS
(b) LHS=15500, RHS=15500
(c) LHS= -x2, RHS= -x2

5. RHS = LHS  … proof

2 a 2  ab  b 2 ab
2 2
  ( 2a 2  ab  b 2 )( 2a  b ) = ( 4a 2  b 2 )( a  b )
4a  b 2a  b
 4a 3  2a 2 b  2a 2 b  ab 2  2ab 2  b 3 = 4a 3  4a 2 b  ab 2  b 3
 00 which is true!

4 x2 1 2x 1
6. 2
  (4 x 2  1)( x  1)  (2 x 2  x  1)(2 x  1)
2x  x 1 x 1
 4 x 3  4 x 2  x  1  4 x3  2 x 2  2 x 2  x  2 x  1
 00 which is true!

7. (a) Let a  2m and b  2n Then a  b  2m  2n  2(m  n) even

(b) Let a  2m  1 and b  2n  1 Then a  b  2m  1  2n  1  2(m  n  1) even

8. LHS = 2 x 2  bx  5 , RHS = ax 2  (5a  c ) x  5c

Hence,
a2
5c  5  c  1 ,
5a  c  b  b  11

1
A. Exam style questions (SHORT)

9. (a) ( x  1)3  ( x  1) 2 ( x  1)  ( x 2  2 x  1)( x  1)

 x 3  x 2  2 x 2  2 x  x  1  x3  3 x 2  3 x  1
(b) (i) LHS = 23 = 8, RHS = 1+3+3+1 = 8
(ii) LHS = 33 = 27, RHS = 8+12+6+1 = 27
(c) 1013  1003  3 1002  3 100  1
 1000000  30000  300  1  1030301

10. (a) (i) LHS to RHS proof

(ii) RHS to LHS proof
(b) For (a) LHS= -1/3 , RHS= -1/3
For (b) LHS= 6/7 , RHS= 6/7

11. (a) LHS to RHS proof

(b) RHS to LHS proof

12. (c) RHS to LHS proof

(d) RHS to LHS proof OR Set b instead of b in (c).

13. (a) RHS to LHS proof

14. (a) (i) LHS=7, RHS=7 true

(ii) LHS=16, RHS=16 true
(iii) LHS=27, RHS=29 false
(b) No. It is not an identity since it is not true for any x

15. We use equivalences :

x2  y2
(a)  xy  x 2  y 2  2 xy  x 2  y 2  2 xy  0  ( x  y ) 2  0
2
which is true.
x2  y2 y2  z2 z2  x2
(b) According to (a):  xy ,  yz ,  zx
2 2 2
2x 2  2 y 2  2z 2
We add together:  xy  yz  zx  x 2  y 2  z 2  xy  yz  zx
2