ALmost got it, mathematical induction, writing terms seperatley

In summary, the author is trying to prove two equations are equal by induction. He has trouble manipulating the left hand side of the equation to look like the right hand side. He is looking for help or suggestions.
  • #1
mr_coffee
1,629
1
Hello everyone I'm having problems on this last part of mathematical induction. I have to show that the two equations are equal to each other. The book shows a few examples which i will show below. They are writing the kst term separately from the first k terms.

Heres my problem firstly:
Prove by mathematical induction:
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1613/lastscancw1.jpg

My Goal is to prove that those 2 equations do infact equal each other, the boxed equations. Once I write the k term separatley then I go on to substitute from the inductive hypotheiss, then do some algebra.Examples of writing the terms seperately:
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9369/lastscan3cn3.jpg

Under my problem i attempted to mimic what they are doing, is that it or no? Any help would be great on explaining what they are doing here!

:biggrin:
 
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  • #2
it should be

[tex]\sum_{i = 1}^{k + 2} i2^i = \left(\sum_{i = 1}^{k+1} i2^i \right) + (k+2)2^{k+2} [/tex]


As a simple example consider:

[tex] \sum_{i=1}^{4}i = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = (1 + 2 + 3) + 4 = \left(\sum_{i=1}^{3}i \right) + 4 [/tex]


more generally, if f is a function defined on the integers, and a, b, and c are integers with [itex]a \leq b \leq c [/itex] then,

[tex]\begin{align*}
\sum_{i = a}^{c} f(i) &= f(a) + f(a+1) + \ldots + f(b-1) + f(b) + f(b+1) + \ldots + f(c-1) + f(c) \\
&= \left( f(a) + f(a+1) + \ldots + f(b-1) \right) + \left( f(b) + f(b+1) + \ldots + f(c-1) + f(c) \right) \\
&= \left( \sum_{i = a}^{b-1} f(i) \right) + \left( \sum_{i = b}^{c} f(i) \right)
\end{align*}[/tex]


in regards to your problem, f is the function
[tex]f(k) = k2^k[/tex]
and a = 1, b = c = k + 2

Your proof up to this point looks great by the way, very nicely written.
 
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  • #3
Thanks nocturnal, that explanation was very helpful. Sorry about the delayed responce.

I'm now having the following troubles, i can't seem to manipulate the left hand side of the equation to look like the right hand side.

This is my work:

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/1449/lastscanfj5.jpg I'm suppose to get that to look like right hand side of the equation, (k+1)*2^(k+3) + 2, any help or suggestions would be great! I tried to factor and expand, and they dont' seem to work or maybe i can't see somthing.

THanks!
:biggrin:
 
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Related to ALmost got it, mathematical induction, writing terms seperatley

1. What is the concept of "Almost Got It" in mathematical induction?

The concept of "Almost Got It" in mathematical induction is when a mathematical proof is close to being complete, but requires one final step to fully prove the statement. It is often used to show that a statement is true for all natural numbers, by proving that it is true for the first few cases and then showing that if it is true for n, it must also be true for n+1.

2. How does mathematical induction work?

Mathematical induction is a proof technique that is used to prove statements about natural numbers. It works by first proving that the statement is true for the base case, usually n=1. Then, assuming the statement is true for n, it is shown that it must also be true for n+1. This proves that the statement is true for all natural numbers.

3. Why is it important to write terms separately in mathematical induction?

Writing terms separately in mathematical induction is important because it allows for a clearer understanding of the proof and makes it easier to identify patterns and relationships between terms. It also helps to avoid errors and confusion when manipulating equations and making substitutions.

4. What is the difference between strong and weak induction?

The main difference between strong and weak induction is the number of base cases that are used in the proof. In strong induction, all previous cases are used as the base case, while in weak induction, only the immediately preceding case is used. This means that strong induction is usually more powerful and can be used to prove a wider range of statements.

5. Can mathematical induction be used to prove any statement?

No, mathematical induction can only be used to prove statements about natural numbers. It cannot be used to prove statements about real numbers, irrational numbers, or other mathematical concepts. It also cannot be used to prove statements that are not true for all natural numbers, such as statements that are only true for even numbers.

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