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Lesson 2.3: Mathematical Induction

Mathematical induction is a form of logical proof used to demonstrate that a statement is true for all natural numbers. While patterns observed for small values of n may seem to hold true generally, this is not a valid proof method as patterns can fail at higher values. Fermat conjectured that certain numbers were prime based on patterns for low n, but Euler later proved this conjecture wrong by factorizing one such number. Mathematical induction was developed to provide a valid logical proof that a statement holds for all natural numbers.

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97 views3 pages

Lesson 2.3: Mathematical Induction

Mathematical induction is a form of logical proof used to demonstrate that a statement is true for all natural numbers. While patterns observed for small values of n may seem to hold true generally, this is not a valid proof method as patterns can fail at higher values. Fermat conjectured that certain numbers were prime based on patterns for low n, but Euler later proved this conjecture wrong by factorizing one such number. Mathematical induction was developed to provide a valid logical proof that a statement holds for all natural numbers.

Uploaded by

Aerl Xuan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lesson 2.

3
Mathematical Induction
Introduction
In this lesson
,
you will study a form of mathematical proof called
mathematical
induction.
It is important that you see clearly the logical need
for it, so take a closer look
at the problem discus
sed in
Example in previous lesson
.
Judging from the pattern formed by these first five
sums, it appears that the sum of the
first
n
odd integers i
s
S
n
= 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + . . . + (2n
-
1) = n
2
Although this particular formula is valid, it is
important
for you to see that
recognizing a pattern and then simply jumping to the
conclusion that the pattern must
be true for all values of
n
is not a logically valid method of proof. There
are many
examples in which a pattern appears to be
developing for small va
lues of
n
and then at
some point the pattern fails. One of the most famous
cases of this was the conjecture by
the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat
(1601
–
1665), who speculated that all
numbers of the form
are prime. For
n = 0, 1, 2, 3,
and 4, the
conjecture is true.
The size of the next Fermat number
(F
5
= 4,294,967,297)
is so great that it was
difficult for Fermat to determine whether it was prime
or not. However, another well
-
known mathematician, Leonhard Euler (1707
–
1783), later found the
factorization
F
5
= 4, 294,967,297
= 641(6,700,417)
which proved that
F
5
is not prime and therefore Fermat’s conjecture was
false.

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