How do you get good at proofs?

[lordy12]

I just stare at difficult proofs. I truly do not understand induction. Like if I was to prove Fermat's Little Theorem, I wouldn't know where to start. And I have my final exam next week and I don't know how to study since its all proofs. And if you say do a lot of problems , what happens if I'm stuck on one problem for like an hour?

 

[cristo]

And if you say do a lot of problems , what happens if I'm stuck on one problem for like an hour?

The best way is practice! You've got to expect that some work will take a long time, especially the first time you attempt it-- that's why the best way to revise for exams is to do lots of problems. The more you do, the easier they'll become (to an extent)

 

[radou]

what happens if I'm stuck on one problem for like an hour?

Post your problem on PF.

 

[mathwonk]

dont wait until the week before the test next time.

 

[tronter]

if the test is next week, the most efficient thing to do is to take your book and read and study all the examples. you will not want to start doing problems from specific sections, and then not study other sections.

 

[lordy12]

yeah, the goal for me is to get above 50%. After the exam is over, when I get home, I genuinely will do a deep study on how to do proofs.

 

[tronter]

yeah, I am sure you will do fine. the key thing in studying for the exam is to really really study and understand the sections well. Like induction, try to really understand the process. I have known of people who have not done many proofs on paper, but have studied the techniques very very closely. Because they understand the method of induction very well, they can prove just about anything requiring induction. So they key thing is understanding the techniques very well, not looking at a problem, and then copying the technique from an example.