Mathematical Induction Tutorial

Regular induction and strong induction CSE 20 Dr. Cynthia Bailey Lee
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Induction overview
With dominoes

Regular induction vs. Strong induction

Regular

induction:
theorem holds for first value

Basis case:
Demonstrate

Inductive step:
Assume:

theorem holds for some n Try to show: theorem holds for n+1

Regular induction vs. Strong induction

Strong

induction:
theorem holds for first value

Basis case:
Demonstrate

Inductive step:
Assume:

theorem holds for all numbers up to and including some n (starting at the base case) Try to show: theorem holds for n+1

Strong induction example

All integers greater than one are divisible by a prime number.

Thm: For all integers n greater than 1, n is divisible by a prime number.

Proof (by strong mathematical induction): Basis step: Show the theorem holds for n = 2.
2 is divisible by itself (2 = 2*1, and 2 and 1 are both integers so this fits the definition of divisible), and 2 is a prime, so 2 is divisible by a prime.

Inductive step:
Inductive hypothesis: Suppose that for some integer n>1, all integers k (1<k<=n) are divisible by a prime number. WTS: n+1 is divisible by a prime number. n+1 is an integer because n is an integer and 1 is an integer, and integers are closed under addition. So there are two possible cases for n+1: either n+1 is prime, or n+1 is composite. Case n+1 is prime: n+1 is divisible by itself (n+1 = (n+1)*1, and 1 and (n+1) are integers), and n+1 is prime, so n+1 is divisible by a prime. Case n+1 is composite: By definition of composite, n+1 can be factored as follows: n+1 = a*b for some integers a,b>1. Also note that a<n+1 and b<n+1, because they are factors of n+1. We do not know whether a and b are prime factors or not, but we do know that and b are divisible by prime numbers (a,b are integers greater than 1 and less than n+1, so our inductive hypothesis applies to them). So let x be the prime factor that divides a, and y be the other factor of a: n+1 = a*b = (x*y)*b Then by algebra (associative property): n+1 = x*(y*b) note that y*b is an integer (integers are closed under multiplication), so by the definition of divisible, n+1 is divisible by x, a prime number. In both cases, we showed n+1 is divisible by a prime number, which is what was to be shown. So the inductive step holds, completing the proof.

Strong induction example: Discussion

One thing I want you to notice is that we relied on an assumption that the theorem holds for a and b

This diagram shows two example a and b values:

(actually we only needed to exercise the knowledge that one of them, a, is divisible by a prime, but we know both are divisible by primes) If we were using the regular induction hypothesis, we wouldnt be able to assume this! We needed to have access to all the preceding dominoes, not just the one immediately preceding!