Proof By Deduction

Jamie Frost
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Teacher Notes
Prerequisite
Knowledge Future Links
• Proofs involving consecutive • Proof by exhaustion.
integers. • Proof by contradiction.
• Expanding brackets. • Advanced concepts in proof.
• Completing the square. • Proof by induction.

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Recap: What is a Proof?
A proof is showing, 1. means that each step of
without doubt, that a Soundness the proof, including any
statement is true. assumptions made, are
Proofs have two valid.
important 2. means that it covers
components: Completene every possible
ss case/scenario.

“A chessboard has its two

corner white squares cut
out to leave 62 squares
remaining. Prove that it’s
impossible to fully tile the
board with dominoes, such
that dominoes are not
allowed to overlap.”
Recap: What is a Proof?

“A chessboard has its two

corner white squares cut
out to leave 62 squares
remaining. Prove that it’s
impossible to fully tile the
board with dominoes, such
that dominoes are not
allowed to overlap.”

We might try tiling in lots of But for our proof to have

different ways, and each ‘completeness’, we must
time fail to fully tile the show the task is impossible
board. however you tile the
board.
There are too many possible
ways to tile the board to
consider them all!
Recap: What is a Proof?

“A chessboard has its two

corner white squares cut
out to leave 62 squares
remaining. Prove that it’s
impossible to fully tile the
board with dominoes, such
that dominoes are not
allowed to overlap.”

Solution:
Each domino covers black and white square. There are squares so
dominoes are required, which covers black and white squares on
the board.
?
However, there are actually black squares and white squares on
the board. As we place each domino down, the number of remaining
black and white squares each reduces by . We will eventually be left
with black squares, which is not possible to tile, so the task is
impossible.
Types of Proof This is the most general type of proof, which
starts with known facts, and reasons step
by step to reach the conclusion.

Proof by Proof by
Deduction Exhaustion
Prove that is even for all
Prove that integers .

All integers are either even or odd.

Suppose is even… [show true]
Suppose is odd… [show true]
Therefore is even for all integers .

Proof by This type of proof considers every

possible case, exhaustively. Here, we
Contradiction have two cases: the integer being even
Prove that there are infinitely many and odd, so proving the statement is true
for both therefore proves it is true in
prime numbers. every case. See skill 561.
This type of proof starts
Assume that there are finitely many prime by assuming the
numbers. opposite of what you’re
trying to prove, and
… [reasoning which leads to a contradiction] showing this leads to a
Therefore, there are infinitely many prime contradiction. See skill
Proof Terminology
! Proof by deduction starts with known facts, and reasons
step by step to reach the conclusion.

! A conjecture is a ! A theorem is a
mathematical mathematical statement
statement that has yet that has been proven.
to be proven.

One famous example is One famous misnomer was

Goldbach’s Conjecture. Fermat’s Last Theorem,
It states “Every even integer which states
greater than 2 can be “If is an integer where , then
expressed as the sum of two has no non-zero integer
primes.” solutions for .”
4=2+
It has been verified It was 300 years until this
2
up to ; this was proven in 1995. Only
6=3+ provides evidence then was the ‘Theorem’ in
3 that it is true, but the name then correct!
8=5+ does not prove it is
3 true! Fermat
10=5
+5
12=7
Example Test Your
We can use a simple proof by
Understanding
1 Prove that
deduction to prove identities.

Prove that Start with one

side of the

( 𝑥−5 )( 𝑥+3 )( 𝑥−3 )

identity. It’s
easier to start
with the left-
hand-side here as
we can expand ?
rather than
factorise.

Expand out step

by step, ensuring
you don’t skip
We can use to out any working
indicate a proof is in your proof.
complete. It
represents QED, short
for the Latin quod erat
demonstrandum,
which means “it has
been demonstrated”.
Example Test Your
Another example of proof by
Understanding
2 Prove that for all real .
deduction is proving that a
quadratic is always positive (or
always negative).
Prove that for all real .

The key is the for all real

find the minimum
value of the left-
for all real .
hand-side by ?
completing the
square.

for all real

for all real . Any number
squared is at least
Therefore the 0 (as a negative
minimum value of is , number squared
which is clearly is positive and ).
greater than 0.
Proofs involving Consecutive
Integers/Odds/Evens
In skill 454 we explored algebraic proofs involving integers.
These are examples of proof by deduction, because we start with
a representation of the relationship between the numbers and make
deductive steps towards the conclusion.

Prove by deduction that the Prove by deduction that the

product of two consecutive sum of sum of three
odd integers is odd. We can use to
consecutive integers is a
represent an even multiple of .
integer and to Let the consecutive integers
Let the consecutive represent an odd be and .
odd integers be and . integer.
Representing these
generically makes
our proof
‘complete’.
The proof asks
about the product of
which is multiple of 3.
these. Factorising out the
makes it explicit the
We need to prove this number is a multiple of
which is an odd integer. product is odd. An odd .
integer can be
Don’t forget to expressed in the form
state the
conclusion.
Quickfire Number Representation

Type Possible Algebraic

Representation
Two consecutive ?
integers
? You must use
Odd number two different
? variables,
Even number because the
? odd numbers
Consecutive odd do not
numbers (or necessarily
? have any
Consecutive even relationship to
numbers ? each other
Any two odd numbers ? (e.g. need not
be
Any two even numbers ? consecutive).
Using and
1 more than a multiple would be
of 4 wrong because
it constrains to
consecutive
odds only.
Test Your Understanding
3 Prove that the sum of any two odd numbers is
even.
Let the odd numbers be and .

?
which is even.

4 Prove that sum of the squares of three

consecutive integers is more than a multiple
of .
Let the consecutive integers be , and .

?
which is 2 more than a multiple of 3.
More General Proofs by Deduction
5 Prove that if the side lengths of a right-angled triangle
form an arithmetic sequence (i.e. the difference between
the terms remains the same), the ratio of the sides is .

Let the side lengths be

By Pythagoras’ theorem:

or

Therefore, the side lengths are:

? and must both be
positive.