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Statement: Let, ,, and Be Integers. If Divides and Divides, Then Divides . Proof (Way 1: Using Symbols)

The document discusses two main styles for writing mathematical proofs: using symbols or complete sentences with limited symbols. It recommends using as few symbols as possible and writing in grammatically correct sentences. It also describes guidelines for revising and submitting homework assignments, such as turning in both original and revised versions by the deadline in PDF format with name included. An example proof is provided in both symbolic and sentence styles to illustrate the recommended style.

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Golden evra
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
83 views

Statement: Let, ,, and Be Integers. If Divides and Divides, Then Divides . Proof (Way 1: Using Symbols)

The document discusses two main styles for writing mathematical proofs: using symbols or complete sentences with limited symbols. It recommends using as few symbols as possible and writing in grammatically correct sentences. It also describes guidelines for revising and submitting homework assignments, such as turning in both original and revised versions by the deadline in PDF format with name included. An example proof is provided in both symbolic and sentence styles to illustrate the recommended style.

Uploaded by

Golden evra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Proof Format and Techniques

There are two main ways to write proofs: in mathematical shorthand or in complete sentences with
limited symbols. How many math symbols you should use in a proof depends on the situation. In our
class or if you ever submit a paper to a journal, you should use as few symbols as possible (for our class
limit yourself to the list of acceptable symbols listed in the syllabus) and write in complete,
grammatically correct sentences. If you are proving something for yourself or are in a class where the
instructor does not care how many symbols you use, you can use as many symbols as you want. In
either case, your job, when writing a proof, is to clearly communicate your solution to a reader who
does not know whether the statement is true or not. You are trying to convince the reader that the
statement is true.

There will be chances to revise your homework. For revisions, you must turn in both the original
version and the revised version. If you do turn in a revised version, your final score for that homework
set will be the average of your original and your revised version. If you do not turn in a revised version,
your score from the original version will be what you get on that homework set.

Both the original homework set and the revised homework must be turned in on time, which will
mean by midnight Tuesday. I will accept either handwritten or typed homework. If you handwrite your
proofs, they must be legible. If you type your proofs (in latex, word, etc.), the formatting must be
correct. Be aware, computer programs often have trouble with math notation if you do not know what
you are doing. If you scan your homework and email it to me, it must be in PDF format. Also, make sure
you can read the scanned document before sending it. Make sure your name is either on the scanned
document or is in the name of the file. In all cases, if I cannot read what you submit, you cannot get a
good grade.

In most cases, grades on revised work should be better than on the original. However, that may not
be true if you have comments on your original work to change something and you do not make any
changes. In that case, your score could decrease.

If you write homework questions (or test questions) on your own paper and not on the provided
sheets, you must write out the full questions as given, including any directions. Write the question in ink
so that it is distinctive from your solution. If you type the homework set, bold the question to
distinguish it from your solution.

Here is an example of two ways to prove a statement. Both are good proofs, but only the second
way will be acceptable in our course.

Statement: Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, and 𝑑 be integers. If 𝑎 divides 𝑐 and 𝑏 divides 𝑑, then 𝑎𝑏 divides 𝑐𝑑.

Proof (way 1: using symbols):


Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 ∈ ℤ and assume 𝑎|𝑐 and 𝑏|𝑑.
⇒ ∃𝑟, 𝑠 ∈ ℤ ∋ 𝑐 = 𝑎𝑟 and 𝑑 = 𝑏𝑠
⇒ 𝑐𝑑 = (𝑎𝑟)(𝑏𝑠) = 𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑠 = 𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑠 = (𝑎𝑏)(𝑟𝑠)
∴ 𝑎𝑏|𝑐𝑑

Proof (way 2: using sentences not symbols):


Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, and 𝑑 be integers. Assume that 𝑎 divides 𝑐 and 𝑏 divides 𝑑. Then by the definition of
divides, there exist integers 𝑟 and 𝑠 such that 𝑐 = 𝑎𝑟 and 𝑑 = 𝑏𝑠. Thus, 𝑐𝑑 = (𝑎𝑟)(𝑏𝑠) = 𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑠 =
𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑠 = (𝑎𝑏)(𝑟𝑠). Therefore, by the definition of divides, we have that 𝑎𝑏 divides 𝑐𝑑.

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