FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES

PROOF OF SUMS OF SERIES BY INDUCTION

A process called mathematical induction can prove many theorems and formulae relating to positive hole num!e"s# Induction can be used to prove Sums of certain series have a particular formula although INDUCTION IS NOT ONL US!D TO "#O$! T%! SU& O' A S!#I!S (as )e )ill see later* 'irstly )e )ill loo+ at INDUCTION in a non mathematical conte,t-

An inventor builds a climbing .robot. )hich is designed to be able to climb any ladder )hich has e/ually spaced rungs0 no matter ho) long it may be- (1eing solar2po)ered0 it can continue indefinitely if necessary-* The inventor tests it on a variety of ladders3 on some of them0 the robot succeeds4 on others it does not5iven any ladder0 )hat conditions need to be satisfied for the robot to be able to climb the ladder6 ou )ill see that there are0 in fact0 7ust t)o3 (a* In the first instance0 the robot needs to be able to get on the ladder (presumably at the first rung*4 and (b* if the robot is on any given rung (say rung + 8 as rungs are e/ually spaced0 it does not matter )here rung + is on the ladder*0 then it has to be able to get on to the ne,t rung after this (rung + 9:*If the robot.s programming and construction enable it to satisfy both these conditions0 then it can climb as far up the ladder (adinfinitum if necessary* as its inventor could )ish for4 since by condition (a* the robot can get on the ladder (at rung :*- Then0 by condition (b* it can get on to rung ;- 1y (b* again0 it can get to rung <0 hence to rung =0 hence to rung >0 etc-0 etc- Thus the robot can reach rung n for an$ positive integer n?%AT %AS T%IS 5OT TO DO ?IT% "U#! &AT%!&ATICS6@@ (5ood Auestion@* The above is actually an illustration of a very po)erful techni/ue called p"oo% !$ inductionThe method is a cunning means of proving the truth of some statement0 or formula0 that is found by e,perimental means (for instance* but )hich0 )ithout a general proof0 is only &no n to be true for certain values of the variable concerned-

FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES 'or instance0 the result

This is the Sum to n terms of the natural numbers and could be proven by using A#IT%&!TIC S!#I!S (or even the difference method* but could be proved by Induction Consider this familiar sum from the formula boo+let

ho)ever0 is not an Arithmetic Series and so other methods of proof need to be investigated"#OO' 1 INDUCTION CAN 1! US!D TO "#O$! T%! SU& O' T%IS (O# AN * S!#I!S
FIRST PRO'E TRUE FOR n()

So the #ight %and Side (#%S* is !/ual to the Left %and Side (L%S* )hen nB: (The robot is on the first rung of the ladder@* SECOND*Y M+,E T-E +SSUMPTION T-+T IT IS .ENER+**Y TRUE FOR Some 'alue o% n(& This is Sometimes called T%! INDUCTION % "OT%!SIS

FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES T-IRD*Y USE T-E +SSUMPTION TO TRY TO PRO'E T-+T IT IS +*SO TRUE FOR n(,/)
There is one !CT#A term on the end of the sum if )e are no) summing to D9: terms

In this line )e have US!D the ASSU&"TION from ST!" ;(The induction %ypothesis*

No

loo& at

hat

e"e t"$in0 to p"ove !ut "eplace the lette" n

ith &/)

So i% the formula assumed )hen n B + is true then0 by adding on the (+ 9:*th term0 it must also be true )hen n B + 9:0 )hatever + is(The robot can get from rung k to rung k +1.)

1y INDUCTION0since it )as true for nB:0 and it if sho)n true for the ne,t integer0 then it is true for ALL "OSITI$! integers

FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES

The method can be described mathematically li+e thisA theorem thought to be true for all values of the positive integer n, can be proved by showing that ST!" : Sho) that it is true for some small value of n such as n B :-(need not be :* ST!" ; if it is +SSUMED true for n B +0 ST!" < and it can be sho)n that is also true for nB + 9 :

If you can sho) the points above0 then you have sho)n that the theorem is true at the start (n B :* and it is therefore true of the ne,t n value0 )hen n B : 9 :0 and then n B ; 9 :0 and then n B < 9 :0 etcE and so on for all integer values of n follo)ing after the valid starting value (usually n B:0 but not al)ays*This )ay of proving the validity of a theorem or formula is the method of mathematical inductionAn essential re/uirement )hen trying to prove a proposition by induction is that you either +no) the final result or can ma+e an inspired guess and then confirm your guess by using a proof employing induction-

E1+MP*E 2
Sho) by mathematical induction that 1 + 2.2 + 3.22 + ...... + n2n 1 = ( n 1)2n + 1 for all positive integer values of nSO*UTION FIRST Consider the theorem for nB:-

(L%S* L!'T %AND SID! ?%!N nB:

1 211
(#%S*

?hich is clearly : #I5%T %AND SID! ?%!N nB:

(1 1)21 + 1 ?hich is again clearly :So ?hen nB: L%SB#%S and so the theorem is true )hen nB:-

FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES SECOND +ssume that the theo"em is t"ue %o" n(& value#
ie it is assumed true that

he"e & is some positive inte0e"

1 + 2.2 + 3.22 + ...... + n2k 1 = ( k 1)2k + 1

This is the I !"#ti$ H%&$thesis ' ! MUST (e st'te!))))))) T%I#D Consider nB+9: (ie the ne,t positive integer after +* and US! the ASSU&"TION
(L%S* L!'T %AND SID! IS3

1 + 2.2 + 3.2 2 + ...... + k 2 k 1 + ( k + 1)2 k

= (k 1)2 + 1 + (k + 1).2
k
The assumption made )as that the theorem )as TRUE for nB+- This is the #I5%T %AND SID! of the theorem that is assumed to be e/ual to the left hand side )hen nB+-

(k + 1)2k
is the e*t te+, t$ (e '!!e!.

?e notice that there is a common factor of L!'T %AND SID! 1!CO&!S

2k bet)een t)o of the terms

= 2k (k 1 + k + 1) + 1 = 2k (2k ) + 1 = 2k 2( k ) + 1 = 2k +1 (k ) + 1 = k 2k +1 + 1
(#%S* NO? LOOD AT T%! #I5%T %AND SID! ?%!N nB+9:

= (k + 1 1)2k +1 + 1
SO ?hen nB+9: L%SB#%S and the theorem is true"UTTIN5 IT TO5!T%!# Theorem true for nB: If true )hen nB+ (any positive integer* then it is also true )hen nB+9: (the ne,t@* True for nB:0 so true for the ne,t )hen nB;0 so true for the ne,t )hen nB<0 so true for the ne,t )hen nB=0 so0 by INDUCTION is true for all positive integers

= k 2k +1 + 1

FURTHER PURE MATHEMATICS (FP1) PROOF BY INDUCTION- SUMMING SERIES

!CA&"L! <

ST!" : Sho) true for nB:

So it is true for nB: ST!" ; Assume it is true for some integer value of nB+

ST!" < Use the Assumption to sho) that if the Assumption is true then it is also true for nB+9:
Add the +9:th term

Use the Assumption

As this is the re/uired result )ith nB+9:

Since it is true for nB: and the assumption that it is true for nB+ implies that it is also true for nB+9:0 then it is true for all positive integers by INDUCTION