Proof General
Proof General
Proof General
Madas
GENERAL
PROOF
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 1 (**)
f ( n ) = n2 + n + 2 , n ∈ » .
MP1-B , proof
Question 2 (**)
Prove that when the square of a positive odd integer is divided by 4 the remainder is
always 1 .
MP1-F , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 3 (**)
Show that a 3 − a + 1 is odd for all positive integer values of a .
MP1-Q , proof
Question 4 (**)
Prove that the square of a positive integer can never be of the form 3k + 2 , k ∈ » .
SYN-B , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 5 (**+)
It is asserted that
2x +1 ≤ 5 x ≤ 2 .
MP2-Q , proof
Question 6 (**+)
Prove by contradiction that for all real θ
cos θ + sin θ ≤ 2 .
MP2-A , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 7 (**+)
Prove by contradiction that if p and q are positive integers, then
p q
+ ≥2.
q p
MP2-E , proof
Question 8 (***)
f ( n ) = 52 n − 1 , n ∈ » .
MP1-I , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 9 (***)
Prove by contradiction that for all real x
MP2-M , proof
Question 10 (***)
It is given that
N = k 2 − 1 and k = 2 p −1 , p∈» .
SYN-K , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 11 (***)
Prove by exhaustion that if n is a positive integer that is not divisible by 3 , then
n 2 − 1 is divisible by 3 .
MP1-C , proof
Question 12 (***)
Prove that if we subtract 1 from a positive odd square number, the answer is always
divisible by 8 .
SYN-P , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 13 (***+)
Given that k > 0 , use algebra to show that
k +1
≥ 2.
k
MP1-L , proof
Question 14 (***)
Prove by the method of contradiction that there are no integers n and m which
satisfy the following equation.
3n + 21m = 137
MP2-G , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 15 (***)
Use the method of proof by contradiction to show that if x then
1
x+ ≥ 2.
x
MP2-C , proof
Question 16 (***)
Prove that the sum of two even consecutive powers of 2 is always a multiple of 20 .
MP1-H , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 17 (***+)
Prove by the method of contradiction that there are no integers a and b which
satisfy the following equation.
a 2 − 8b = 7
MP2-I , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 18 (***+)
Use proof by exhaustion to show that if m ∈ » and n ∈ » , then
m 2 − n 2 ≠ 102 .
MP1-R , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 19 (***+)
Use a calculus method to prove that if x ∈ » , x > 0 , then
x 4 + x −4 ≥ 2 .
MP1-Z , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 20 (***+)
c c +1
b b +1
a a +1
• The triangle, on the left section of the figure, has side lengths of
a , b and c ,
• The triangle, on the right section of the figure, has side lengths of
a + 1 , b + 1 and c +1 ,
MP1-O , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 21 (***+)
It is given that x ∈ » and y ∈ » such that x + y = 1 .
Prove that
x2 + y = y2 + x .
MP1-T , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 22 (***+)
It is given that a and b are positive odd integers, with a > b .
MP2-U , proof
Question 23 (***+)
Prove by contradiction that log10 5 is an irrational number.
MP2-S , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 24 (****)
Let a ∈ » with 1 a ∉ » .
5
( )
b) Given further that b ∈ » with 1 b ∉ » , deduce that 1 a 4 − b 4 ∈ » .
5 5
FP4-R , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 25 (****)
It is asserted that
“ The difference of the squares of two non consecutive positive integers can never be
a prime number ”.
b) Given further that 163 is a prime number find the above mentioned
consecutive square numbers.
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 26 (****)
2
By considering ( 2) , or otherwise, prove that an irrational number raised to the
power of an irrational number can be a rational number.
MP2-W , proof
Question 27 (****)
It is given that
a 2 + b2 = c 2 , a ∈ » , b ∈ » .
SP-N , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 28 (****)
Given that k ∈ » , use algebra to prove that
2k + 2 2k
> .
2k + 3 2k + 1
MP1-V , proof
Question 29 (****)
f ( a ) = a 3 + 5a , a ∈ » .
MP1-X , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 30 (****)
f ( k ) = k 3 + 2k , k ∈ » .
SYN-J , proof
Question 31 (****)
Consider the following sequence
Prove that the product of any two consecutive terms of the above sequence can be
written as the product of 4 consecutive integers.
SYN-H , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 32 (****)
Prove that if 1 is added to the product of any 4 consecutive positive integers, the
resulting number will always be a square number.
SYN-I , proof
Question 33 (****+)
Show that for all positive real numbers a and b
a 3 + b3 ≥ a 2b + ab 2 .
SP-R , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 34 (****+)
Show clearly that for all real numbers α , β and γ
α 2 + β 2 + γ 2 ≥ αβ + βγ + γα .
SP-U , proof
Question 35 (****+)
Show, without using proof by induction, that the sum of cubes of any 3 consecutive
positive integers is a multiple of 9 .
SYNF-C , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 36 (****+)
Use a detailed method to show that
SPX-O , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 37 (*****)
Show that the square of an odd positive integer greater than 1 is of the form
8T + 1 ,
MP1-S , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 38 (*****)
It is given that
( )
f ( m, n ) ≡ 2m m2 + 3n 2 ,
3
By using the expansion of ( A ± B ) , prove that f ( m, n ) can always be written as the
sum of two cubes.
SPX-Q , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 39 (*****)
It is given that
( )( )
f ( k ) ≡ k 3 − k 2k 2 + 5k − 3 ,
SPX-K , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 40 (*****)
Prove that for all real numbers, a and b ,
2 2 4a 2 + b 2 + a 2 + 4b 2
a +b ≤ .
3
SPX-M , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 41 (*****)
Show that for all positive real numbers a and b
a 3 + 2b3 ≥ 3ab 2 .
SP-X , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 42 (*****)
It is given that x , a and b are positive real numbers, with a > b and x 2 > ab .
x+a x+b
− > 0.
x2 + a2 x 2 + b2
MP2-T , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 43 (*****)
Prove that the sum of the squares of two distinct positive integers, when doubled, it
can be written as the sum of two distinct square numbers
SPX-I , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 44 (*****)
The Rational Zero Theorem asserts that if the polynomial
has integer coefficients, then every rational zero of f ( x ) has the form pq , where
p is a factor of the constant term a0 and q is a factor of the leading coefficient an .
π
Use this result to show that sin is irrational.
18
SPX-S , proof
Created by T. Madas
Created by T. Madas
Question 45 (*****)
By using the definition of e as an infinite convergent series, prove by contradiction
that e is irrational.
SPX-G , proof
Created by T. Madas