• Want to help us with this year's BoS Trials?
    Let us know before 30 June. See this thread for details
  • Looking for HSC notes and resources?
    Check out our Notes & Resources page

mathematical induction step 4 (2 Viewers)

Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
2,225
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2012
I remember Carrot making his vast, powerful conclusion of:


 

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Since the statement is true for n=k and n=k+1 then it is true for n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Hence it is true for all integers n>/=1 by mathematical induction.
You probably won't have marks taken off for this, but it's not correct. If you were to take this approach you'd have to say:

"Since the statement is true for n=k+1, if it is true for n=k, then it is true for n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Hence it is true for all integers n>/=1 by mathematical induction."

Because you haven't proven that it is true for n=k. You have only shown that if it is in fact true for n=k, then it is also true for n=k+1. The induction comes into play by first proving it is true for n=1, which then implies it must be true for all integers that follow as in this case k=1.
 

Lieutenant_21

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
188
Location
Inside the Fire
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
You probably won't have marks taken off for this, but it's not correct. If you were to take this approach you'd have to say:

"Since the statement is true for n=k+1, if it is true for n=k, then it is true for n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Hence it is true for all integers n>/=1 by mathematical induction."

Because you haven't proven that it is true for n=k. You have only shown that if it is in fact true for n=k, then it is also true for n=k+1. The induction comes into play by first proving it is true for n=1, which then implies it must be true for all integers that follow as in this case k=1.
Thanks for the correction :)
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 2)

Top