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Residual
Mar12-07, 02:25 AM
In mathematical Induction, sometimes two variables are given, such as:
"All positive integers n and all real numbers x >= -1."

My question is do you solve this normally and just keep x as itself or do you have to expand it like you do with n, making it k + 1 etc etc.

Thanks in advanced

Crosson
Mar12-07, 03:09 AM
You leave $x$ as it is, it is an arbitrary real number >= -1. In the proof it is like that you will need the fact x >= -1.
A little more context would help, but if I am guessing your issue correctly the answer is no.

Residual
Mar12-07, 03:19 AM
Well an example would be:

|x^n| = |x|^n for every positive integer n and real number x.

ZioX
Mar12-07, 03:40 AM
You show for any given n, x works.

Which kind of makes sense, don't you think?

Residual
Mar12-07, 04:01 AM
I have done a few examples and they all worked nicely.

Thanks.