Homework Help: Induction: 1+2+2^2+2^3+ +2^n-1=2^n-1

Use brackets: you have written
1+2+2^2+2^3+...+2^n-1=2^n-1 , which is plainly impossible, because it would require that we have 1+2+2^2+2^3+... = 0 (in order to have 2^n-1=2^n-1 on both sides). If you mean 2^(n-1), then that is what you need to say.

RGV

 

You want to prove that if, for some k, [itex]2^0+ 2^1+ \cdot\cdot\cdot+ 2^{k-1}= 2^k-1[/itex] then [itex]2^0+ 2^1+ \cdot\cdot\cdot+ 2^{k-1}+ 2^k= 2^{k+1}-1[/itex].
(What you wrote, 1+ 2^1+ ...+ 2^n-1= 2^n-1 is, as Ray Vickson said, clearly impossible because you have "2^n- 1" on both sides but with additional positive terms on the left. Of course, you meant 2^(n-1) on the left and (2^n)- 1 on the right. Those are very different and you can't ask people to guess what you mean.)

To go from k to k+1, obviously you are adding [itex]2^k[/itex] to the sum on the left so do it on the right:
[tex]2^0+ 2^1+ \cdot\cdot\cdot+ 2^{k-1}+ 2^k= (2^k- 1)+ 2^k[/tex]

What do you get when you combine those two "[itex]2^k[/itex]" terms on the right?