Proofing My "Arithmetic?" Proof

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a self-assigned proof regarding the uniqueness of sums derived from arrays of nonnegative integers. The proof asserts that for any two distinct arrays, S1 and S2, and a prime number α larger than the largest integer in either array, the weighted sums will differ. The author concludes that α does not need to be prime, only larger than the largest integer in the arrays, which simplifies the conditions for the proof. The author expresses confidence in the correctness of the proof while seeking validation and potential simplifications.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic number theory concepts, particularly prime numbers.
  • Familiarity with array data structures and indexing.
  • Knowledge of mathematical proofs and their structures.
  • Basic comprehension of weighted sums and their applications.
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  • Research the properties of prime numbers and their relevance in proofs.
  • Explore mathematical proof techniques, focusing on uniqueness proofs.
  • Study weighted sums and their applications in computer science.
  • Investigate the implications of using different bases in number systems.
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Mathematicians, computer scientists, and students interested in mathematical proofs, particularly those exploring number theory and array manipulation.

mafagafo
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This is a self-assigned question. Not homework.

I may have the right answer, but would like some reviewing. It came to me while reading on a CS topic, this did not come from a math textbook, otherwise it would be slightly more in context.

I did not use any formula (so 2 would be empty) and 1 and 3 are in a PDF here.

1. Is my work correct?
2. Is there an easier way to prove it?
3. What exactly is this? I called it an "'Arithmetic?' proof", but I don't think that this would be its name.
 

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Looks right, and fairly straightforward. I doubt there's an easier way.
How about generalising it?
 
Dream case scenario I would get that
\text{Given that } S \text{ is an array of } m \text{ small nonnegative integers and } \alpha \text{ is a prime larger than the largest integer in } S
\sum_{i=0}^{m-1}\left(\alpha^{m-(i+1)}\times S_{1_i} \right) \ne \sum_{i=0}^{m-1}\left(\alpha^{m-(i+1)}\times S_{2_i}\right) \forall S_1 \ne S_2
Obs.: for convenience, S is zero-based (lame math).

I think that this is going to the bottom of my TODO list.
 
Well, that is clearly true.
Alpha doesn't even need to be prime for that to be the case. It just has to be larger than the largest integer in either S1 or S2.
Think about alpha = 10 and our number system where S is the index set of digits from 0 to 9. No two numbers are the same unless they have the same digits because 10 is bigger than the largest member of the index set.
 

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