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En 0301 Serge Lang Basic Mathematics Answers
En 0301 Serge Lang Basic Mathematics Answers
En 0301 Serge Lang Basic Mathematics Answers
The author does not show solutions to this exercise. My answers have been
adapted from two threads of the forum Mathematics Stack Exchange, despite
some obvious mistakes from the source. The threads can be accessed at:
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/3684180/proving-properties-of-a-
system-containing-only-two-objects-even-and-odd-numbers
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/4205846/show-that-addition-for-
odd-and-even-numbers-is-associative-and-commutative-ser?
noredirect=1&lq=1
Preliminary information. There are two, and only two, elements in the
system, then we have a set { E, I }. and have defined the operators for binary
operations ( + for addition; juxtaposition for multiplication; and = for equality)
and the required properties of addition and multiplication on them, namely:
PROP. 1: R EFLEXIVE . The equality operator implies that E = E and I = I .
PROP. 2: C LOSURE.* Results from these binary operations are always either E
or I only, that is, the only elements of the set.
All this is based on the ideas of even and odd numbers, but we don’t need to
know that to prove these facts. We have to do an exhaustive proof, but it is
not too exhausting because there are not that many possible additions and
multiplications of merely two elements.
ITEM A
Show that addition for E and I is associative.
Prove that ( a + b ) + c = a + ( b + c ), substituting a, b, c by the two
elements E , I , in each 'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I ; c = E,I;
therefore, we have eight possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E ; c = E .
( E + E ) + E = ( E ) + E = E , and
E + ( E + E ) = E + ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E + E ) + E = E + ( E + E ).
CASE 2: a = E ; b = E ; c = I .
( E + E ) + I = ( E ) + I = I , and
E + ( E + I ) = E + ( I ) = I ; thus,
( E + E ) + I = E + ( E + I ).
CASE 3: a = E ; b = I ; c = E .
( E + I ) + E = ( I ) + E = I , and
E + ( I + E ) = E + ( I ) = I ; thus,
( E + I ) + E = E + ( I + E ).
CASE 4: a = E ; b = I ; c = I .
( E + I ) + I = ( I ) + I = E , and
E + ( I + I ) = E + ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E + I ) + I = E + ( I + I ).
CASE 5: a = I ; b = I ; c = I .
( I + I ) + I = ( E ) + I = I , and
I + ( I + I ) = I + ( E ) = I ; thus,
( I + I ) + I = I + ( I + I ).
CASE 6: a = I ; b = I ; c = E .
( I + I ) + E = ( E ) + E = E , and
I + ( I + E ) = I + ( I ) = E ; thus,
( I + I ) + E = I + ( I + E ).
CASE 7: a = I ; b = E ; c = I .
( I + E ) + I = ( I ) + I = E , and
I + ( E + I ) = I + ( I ) = E ; thus,
( I + E ) + I = I + ( E + I ).
CASE 8: a = I ; b = E ; c = E .
(This case is missing in the original answer.)
( I + E ) + E = ( I ) + E = I , and
I + ( E + E ) = I + ( E ) = I ; thus,
( I + E ) + E = I + ( E + E ).
CASE 1: a = E .
a + E = E + E = E = a , and E + a = E + E = E = a ; thus,
a + E = E + a = a.
CASE 2: a = I .
a + E = I + E = I = a , and E + a = E + I = I = a ; thus,
a + E = E + a = a.
CASE 2: a = I .
a + b = I + b = E ⇔ b = I
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise), and
b + a = b + I = E ⇔ b = I
(from the properties presented in the instructions of the exercise); thus,
Hence, the additive inverse of E is E , and the additive inverse of I is I .
Note that the additive inverse is unique for each of the elements.
ITEM B
Show that multiplication for E and I is associative.
Prove that ( a b ) c = a ( b c ), substituting a, b, c by the two elements E , I in
each 'position':
a = E,I ; b = E,I ; c = E,I;
therefore, we have eight possible cases:
CASE 1: a = E ; b = E ; c = E .
( E E ) E = ( E ) E = E , and E ( E E ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E E ) E = E ( E E ).
CASE 2: a = E ; b = E ; c = I .
( E E ) I = ( E ) I = E , and E ( E I ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E E ) I = E ( E I ).
CASE 3: a = E ; b = I ; c = E .
( E I ) E = ( E ) E = E , and E ( I E ) = E ( E ) = E ; thus,
( E I ) E = E ( I E ).
CASE 4: a = E ; b = I ; c = I .
( E I ) I = ( E ) I = E , and E ( I I ) = E ( I ) = E ; thus,
( E I ) I = E ( I I ).
CASE 5: a = I ; b = I ; c = I .
( I I ) I = ( I ) I = I , and I ( I I ) = I ( I ) = I ; thus,
( I I ) I = I ( I I ).
CASE 6: a = I ; b = I ; c = E .
( I I ) E = ( I ) E = E , and I ( I E ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I I ) E = I ( I E ).
CASE 7: a = I ; b = E ; c = I .
( I E ) I = ( E ) I = E , and I ( E I ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I E ) I = I ( E I ).
CASE 8: a = I ; b = E ; c = E .
( I E ) E = ( E ) E = E , and I ( E E ) = I ( E ) = E ; thus,
( I E ) E = I ( E E ).
W ARNING : The table below belongs to the thread Proving Properties of a
System Containing Only Two Objects Even and Odd Numbers at the forum
Mathematics Stack Exchange, whose address is on the first page.
This particular answer is wrong and confusing. The mistakes are highlighted
in bold. Compare it to my answer.
Multiplication for E and I is associative.
(EE)E = EE = E = EE = E(EE)
(EE)I = EI = E = EI = E(EI)
(EI )E = IE = E = E I = E(IE)
(EI)I = I I = I = EE = E(II)
(IE)E = I E = E = IE = I(EE)
(IE)I = I I = I = II = I(E I)
( I E) I = I I = I = II = I ( EI )
[ this case is repeated; missing case ( I I ) E ]
(II)I = E I = E = IE = I(II)
CASE 2: 1 = I ; a = I .
I a = I I = I = a , and a I = I I = I = a ; thus,
Ia = aI = I = a.
Hence, we conclude, from Cases 3 and 4, that I is the 1 element for
multiplication; and from Cases 1 and 2, that E is the zero element for
multiplication.