Math Induction Solution: Proving 5^(2n) - 1 is Divisible by 8

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Homework Statement



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5^(2n) - 1 divisible by 8.

The Attempt at a Solution



For n =1, it is div. by 8.
For n=k+1,

5^(2(k+1)) - 1
=25^(k+1) - 1


I am not quite sure if this is the final solution.
 
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Hi Kinetica! :smile:

Maybe you can start by factoring 5^{2n}-1.
 
Hey! I got it! Thanks!

5^[2(k+1)] - 1
25*5^[2k] - 1
5^[2k] + 24*5^[2k] - 1
5^[2k] - 1 + 24*5^[2k]
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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