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Undefined Terms

Theorem Proposition
A very important true statement A less important but nonetheless
interesting true statement

Lemma Conjecture
A true statement used in proving A statement believed to be true,
other statements true but for which we have no proof

Corollary Proof
A true statement that is a simple A explanation of why a statement
deduction from a theorem or is true
proposition

Axiom
A basic assumption about a
Anurag Saini

mathematical situation
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1 Theorem

▪ A theorem is a statement that can be shown to be true using:

▪ definitions
▪ other theorems
▪ axioms (statements which are given as true)

a2 + b2 = c2 for a right angled triangle.

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2 Lemma

▪ A lemma is a ‘helping theorem’ or a result that is needed to prove a theorem.

▪ A lemma is a simple theorem used as an intermediate result in the proof of another
theorem.
▪ A lemma is a simple theorem used in the proof of other theorems.
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3 Corollary

▪ A corollary is a result that follows directly from a theorem.

▪ A corollary is a proposition that can be established directly from a theorem that has been
proved.

Theorem. Every real polynomial of degree n has n roots.

Corollary. A real polynomial of degree 3 has a real root
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4
Axiom / Postulates

▪ A less important but nonetheless interesting true statement

▪ An axiom or postulate is the underlying assumption about mathematical
structures, the hypothesis of the theorem to be proved, and previously
proved theorems.
▪ An axiom is a basic assumption about mathematical structures that needs
no proof.

1. A straight line segment can be drawn joining any two points.

2. Any straight line segment can be extended indefinitely in a straight line.
3. Given any straight lines segment, a circle can be drawn having the segment as radius and one
endpoint as center.
4. All Right Angles are congruent.
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5 Conjecture
• A statement that is unproved, but is believed to be true.
• A conjecture is a statement whose truth value is unknown. Once it is proven, it becomes a
theorem.
• A conjecture is a statement whose truth is unknown. When its proof is found, it becomes a
theorem.
e.g: twin prime conjecture

Twin Prime Conjecture:

• Let p be an integer. If p and p+2 are both prime, then (p,p+2) is called a twin prime pair.
• There are infinitely many twin primes, or pairs of primes that differ by 2
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• As numbers get larger, primes become less frequent and twin primes rarer still
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6 Proofs

• A proof is a valid argument that establishes the truth of a statement.

• A proof is to demonstrate that a theorem is true with a sequence of
statements that form an argument.
• We can use a proof to demonstrate that a particular statement is true. A proof
consists of a sequence of statements that form an argument.

Direct Proofs
Indirect Proofs
Proof by Contraposition
Proof by Contradiction

The steps that connect the statements in such a sequence are the rules of inference.
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Direct Proof

Example: “If n is an odd integer, then n2 is odd.”

Solution: Assume that n is odd. Then n = 2k + 1 for an integer k. Squaring both sides of the
equation, we get:

n2 = (2k + 1)2 = 4k2 + 4k +1 = 2(2k2 + 2k) + 1= 2r + 1,

where r = 2k2 + 2k , an integer.

We have proved that if n is an odd integer, then n2 is an odd integer.

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Proof by Contraposition

Contrapositive of a conditional statement is formed by negating both terms and

reversing the direction of inference

Example: Prove that if n is an integer and 3n + 2 is odd, then n is odd.

Solution: Assume n is even. So, n = 2k for some integer k. Thus

3n + 2 = 3(2k) + 2 =6k +2 = 2(3k + 1) = 2j for j = 3k +1

Therefore 3n + 2 is even. Since we have shown ¬q → ¬p , p → q must hold as well. If n is an

integer and 3n + 2 is odd (not even) , then n is odd (not even).
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Proof by Contradiction

Example: Prove √2 is irrational.

Solution: Suppose √2 is rational.

Then there exists integers a and b with √2 = a/b, where b≠ 0 and a and b have no common factors. Then

Therefore a2 must be even. If a2 is even then a must be even (an exercise).

Since a is even, a = 2c for some integer c. Thus,

Therefore b2 is even. Again then b must be even as well.

But then 2 must divide both a and b. This contradicts our assumption that a and b have no common factors.
We have proved by contradiction that our initial assumption must be false and therefore √2 is
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irrational .