Mathematical Reasoning: Writing and Proof

Introduction to Writing Proofs

01What Is a Statement? Truth Values and If-Then 02Quantifiers and Counterexamples: What One Example Can Prove 03The Truth Table for If-Then: When a Conditional Is False 04Using Conditionals: Theorems, Counterexamples and Closure Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Even and Odd Integers: Why a Proof Starts From the Definition 02The Know-Show Table: Proving Odd Times Odd Is Odd 03Writing Proofs for a Reader: Six Guidelines and Sums of Even and Odd 04Backward Answers Must Imply the Goal: Two More Direct Proofs Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Logical Reasoning

01Logical Operators: Truth Rules for And, Or, Not and If-Then 02Only If, Necessary and Sufficient: Truth Tables and Tautologies 03Logical Equivalence: De Morgan's Laws and the Contrapositive 04Negating If-Then and Proving Equivalences by Chains Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Sets and Variables: The Roster Method and the Universal Set 02Element, Subset and Truth Set: Open Sentences as Predicates 03Set Builder Notation, the Empty Set, and Sentences True for All x Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Quantifiers: When For Every and There Exists Statements Are True 02Negating Quantified Statements: The Quantifier Switches 03Counterexamples and Negating Definitions With Quantifiers 04Statements With Two Quantifiers: Why the Order Matters Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Constructing Proofs

01Divisibility: Definition, Notation, and Non-Divisors 02Proving Divisibility Is Transitive: Axioms, Definitions, Proof 03A Divisor of Two Numbers Divides Their Sum, and Counterexamples 04Congruence Modulo n: A Proof Mod 8 and 7 Rules for Writing Proofs Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Proving the Contrapositive When a Direct Proof Stalls 02Writing a Proof by Contrapositive: ab = 0 and De Morgan 03Proving Biconditionals: Two Conditionals, Each Marked 04Constructive and Nonconstructive Proofs of Existence Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Contradiction, Cases and Proof Writing

01Why Proof by Contradiction Works and How to Negate the Claim 02Writing a Proof by Contradiction: x/y + y/x and Negations 03Proving Nonexistence by Contradiction: Even Equals Odd 04Proof That √2 Is Irrational: Rational and Irrational Numbers Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Proof by Cases: Why It Works, and Why n² + n Is Even 02Choosing Exhaustive Cases and Writing a Case Proof 03Absolute Value by Cases: Proving |x| = A and |-x| = |x|04The Triangle Inequality by Cases: |x + y| ≤ |x| + |y|Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Many Ways to Write 27 = 4q + r, and a Mod 6 Proof 02The Division Algorithm: One Quotient, One Remainder 03Proof by Remainders: Why 3 Divides n³ - n 04Adding, Multiplying and Powering Congruences 05Congruence Is Reflexive, Symmetric and Transitive 06Each Integer Is Congruent to Its Remainder: Squares Mod 5 07Ruling Out Cases to Prove a² ≡ 1 (mod 6)Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Direct, Contrapositive or Contradiction: Choosing a Proof 02Proof by Cases, Equivalences, and Existence Proofs 03Writing a Proof for a Reader: Openings and Signposts 04Writing the Math in a Proof: Displays and a Clear Ending Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Mathematical Induction

01Inductive Sets: Why a Table of Cases Is Not a Proof 02The Principle of Mathematical Induction as an Axiom 03Induction on Sums: Add the Next Term to Both Sides 04Why Both Steps Matter: Proving 4 Divides 5ⁿ − 1 Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01When Ordinary Induction Falls Short: n! vs 2ⁿ and Primes 02Extended Induction: Start the Basis Step at Any Integer M 03Strong Induction: Every Integer Above 1 Factors into Primes 04Three Basis Cases: Every n from 8 On Is a Sum of 3s and 5s Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Defining Sequences by Recursion: From Halving to n!02Fibonacci Numbers: Patterns, Rabbits and Sanskrit Verse 03Every Third Fibonacci Number Is Even: An Induction Proof 04Geometric Series by Induction: a(1 − rⁿ)/(1 − r)Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Set Theory

01Intersection, Union, Difference, Complement: And, Or, Not for Sets 02Venn Diagrams for Two Sets: Four Regions and De Morgan's Law 03Proper Subsets, the Empty Set and Set Equality 04Venn Diagrams for Three Sets: Eight Regions and Subset Conditions 05Power Sets Have 2ⁿ Elements: Cardinality and the Number Systems Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Choose-an-Element Proofs: Multiples of 6 Are a Subset of the Evens 02Complements Reverse Subsets: A ⊆ B Implies Bᶜ ⊆ Aᶜ 03Proving Set Equality by Two Inclusions: A − (A − B) = A ∩ B 04Proving a Set Is Empty: Disjoint Sets and Element Chasing Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01De Morgan's Law for Unions and Cycles of Conditionals 02Laws of Union and Intersection: Proving A ∩ B = B ∩ A 03Distributive Law: A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)04Complement Laws and Proofs by the Algebra of Sets Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Ordered Pairs as Solutions: The Truth Set of 2x + 3y = 12 02The Cartesian Product A × B: Listing Pairs, Testing Laws 03Products of Intervals Are Rectangles in the Plane 04Proving A × (B ∪ C) = (A × B) ∪ (A × C)Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

01Union and Intersection of a Family: Some Versus All 02Indexed Unions: Subscripts for Infinitely Many Sets 03Families Indexed by Any Set: One Interval per Real Number 04De Morgan's Laws for Any Family, and Pairwise Disjoint Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Functions

01What Is a Function? Exactly One Output for Each Input 02Functions Without Formulas: Birthdays and Sums of Divisors 03Images and Preimages: The Formal Definition of a Function 04The Range of a Function: From Graphs and Arrow Diagrams Problem set0/10 Problem set 20/10

Proving Divisibility Is Transitive: Axioms, Definitions, Proof

How does a know-show table turn "a divides b and b divides c" into a proof that a divides c?

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Your summary note

1. Undefined terms, axioms and definitions
  Define each term, give the Euclidean-geometry axiom about two points and a line, and record that closure and the algebraic properties of the integers serve as axioms here.
2. Conjecture, theorem, proposition, lemma and corollary
  Write a one-line definition of each of the five terms, recording which ones have proofs and how a lemma and a corollary relate to a main theorem.
3. The construction method
  Record that an existential quantifier in the show part signals building the required object from what is known, and write the backward and forward questions for transitivity.
4. The transitivity proof and its know-show table
  Complete the know-show table and write the finished proof with numbered equations, deriving $c = (a \cdot s) \cdot t = a(s \cdot t)$ and naming the associative and closure properties used.
Attempt 1 of 2