Friday, October 14, 2016

elementary number theory - Prove that if 3n2+2n is even, then n is even




Just want to check if my proof is OK




Prove that if 3n2+2n is even, then n is even




If 3n2+2n is even, then 3n2+2n=2k for some kZ.



n(3n+2)=2k




So 2 must either divide n or (3n+2). If 2 divides n, we're done. Otherwise let 2 divide (3n+2). Then 2 must divide 3n it divides n (since it doesn't divide 3). Hence result.



Is this ok?






EDIT (further question):



A proof by contradiction supposedly also works:




Assume n is odd, i.e. n=2k+1.



Then 3(2k+1)2+2(2k+1)=3(4k2+4k+1)+4k+2=12k2+16k+5 which is not divisible 2. Hence n must be even.



My issue with this: how have we proved that n is even? Have we not only proven that n can't be odd? We don't know it works for every even number though...?


Answer



Yes, it is just fine.



I would have done it as follows: since 3n2+2n=n2+2(n2+n) and 2(n2+n) is even, 3n2+2n is even if an only if n2 is even. And n2 is even if and only if n is even.




Your proof by contradiction shows (correctly) thatn odd3n2+2n odd,
which is equivalent to the statement that you wish to prove.

No comments:

Post a Comment

analysis - Injection, making bijection

I have injection f:AB and I want to get bijection. Can I just resting codomain to f(A)? I know that every function i...