Unit 3

Mathematical Induction
1. The Principle of Mathematical Induction
Consider the following series

1 = 12
1 + 3 = 22
1 + 3 + 5 = 32
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 42

1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + …. + (2n-1) = n2
1. The Principle of Mathematical Induction

Is it true when n = 100 ?

When n = 100
LHS = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 +…. + (2(100)-1)
= 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + …. + 199
= 10000
RHS = 1002
= 10000
The proposition is true for n = 100.
1. The Principle of Mathematical Induction
Is it true when n = 100000 ?
Apply Mathematical Induction
(M.I.) to prove the proposition
A proposition P(n) is true for all positive integers
n if both of the following conditions are satisfied :
1. P(1) is true.
2. Assuming P(k) is true for any positive
integer k, it can be proved that P(k + 1) is
also true.
1. The Principle of Mathematical Induction
1. The Principle of Mathematical Induction
Note :
Mathematical induction cannot be used to
prove whose variables are not positive
integers.
For instance : it is a serious mistakes to
prove the identity
x3 – 1 = (x - 1)(x2 + x + 1), for all xR.
2. Some Simple Worked Examples
Prove by mathematical induction that
1 + 3 + 5 + …. + (2n –1) = n2 for all positive integers.
Let P(n) be the proposition 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + …. + (2n –1) = n2

When n = 1, RHS = 12 = 1
LHS = 1
P(1) is true.
Assume P(k) is true for any positive (+ve) integer k.
i.e. 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + …. + (2k –1) = k2
When n = k + 1, RHS = (k + 1)2
2.
LHSSome
= Simple Worked
1+3+5+7+ ….Examples
+(2k – 1) + [2(k+1) －
1]

k2
= k2 + 2k + 2 － 1
= k2 + 2k + 1
= (k + 1)2

∴ P(n) is true for n = k + 1 if n = k is true

.
By M.I., P(n) is true for all +ve integers n.
2. Some Simple Worked Examples

Further Examples of
Mathematical Induction
2. Some Simple Worked Examples
Prove by mathematical induction that
8n － 3n is divisible by 5 for all positive integers n.

Let P(n) be the proposition 8n － 3n is divisible by 5 .

When n = 1, 81 － 31 = 5 which is divisible by 5.
∴ P(1) is true.
Assume P(k) is true for any positive integer k.
i.e. 8k － 3k = 5N, where N is an integer.
2. Some Simple Worked Examples
When n = k + 1
8k+1 － 3k+1
=8×8k － 3×3k
=8×8k － 3×3k － 5×3k + 5×3k
=8×8k － 8×3k + 5×3k
=8(8k － 3k) + 5×3k
=8(5N) + 5×3k
=5(8N + 3k) which is divisible by 5
∴ P(n) is true for n = k + 1 if n = k is true
.
P.89 Ex.3A
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(A) 1st type of variation :
Let P(n) be a proposition involving
positive integer n.
If (i) P(n) is true for n = 1 and n = 2
and (ii) if P(n) is true for some positive
integers k and k + 1,then
P(n) is also true for n = k + 2,
then P(n) is true for all positive integers n.
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(A) 1st type of variation :
Note :
The principle may be applied t
o the proposition of the form a
n
- bn or an + bn.
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(B) 2nd type of variation :
Let P(n) be a proposition involving integer n.
If (i) P(n) is true n = ko,where ko is an integer
not necessarily equals 1, and
(ii) if P(n) is true for n = k (k  k0) then P(n)is
also true for n = k + 1.
then P(n) is true for all integers n  ko.
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(B) 2nd type of variation :
e.g . Prove that for every positive integer
n  5, 2  n .
n 2

(i ) When n  5, LHS  2  32, 5

RHS  5  25
2

i.e. 2  n is true for n  5.

n 2
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(C) 3rd type of variation :
Let P(n) be a proposition involving integer
n.
If (i) P(n) is true for n = 1 and n = 2,
and (ii) if P(n) is true for some positive
integer k, then P(n) is also true for n = k + 2,
then P(n) is true for all positive integers n.
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(C) 3rd type of variation :
Remarks :
In the above statement, if we only check
P(n) is true for n = 1 (respectively n = 2),
we can only conclude that P(n) is true for
all positive odd (respectively, even)
integers n.
3. Variations of the Method of Induction
(C) 3rd type of variation :
e.g . Prove that for each positive integer n,
the number f (n) of non  negative integral
solutions of the equation
x  2y  n
1 1
is f (n)  (n  1)  [1  (1) ]
n

2 4
P.102 Ex.3B