Saturday, April 22, 2017

big list - What is the most unusual proof you know that sqrt2 is irrational?



What is the most unusual proof you know that 2 is irrational?



Here is my favorite:





Theorem: 2 is irrational.



Proof:
32222=1.




(That's it)



That is a corollary of

this result:




Theorem:
If n is a positive integer
and there are positive integers
x and y such that
x2ny2=1,
then
n is irrational.





The proof is in two parts,
each of which
has a one line proof.



Part 1:




Lemma: If

x2ny2=1,
then there are arbitrarily large integers
u and v such that
u2nv2=1.




Proof of part 1:




Apply the identity

(x2+ny2)2n(2xy)2=(x2ny2)2
as many times as needed.




Part 2:




Lemma: If

x2ny2=1
and
n=ab
then
x<b.




Proof of part 2:





1=x2ny2=x2a2b2y2=x2b2y2a2b2
or
b2=x2b2y2a2=(xbya)(xb+ya)xb+ya>xb
so
x<b.




These two parts
are contradictory,
so
n

must be irrational.



Two things to note about
this proof.



First,
this does not need
Lagrange's theorem
that for every
non-square positive integer n

there are
positive integers x and y
such that
x2ny2=1.



Second,
the key property of
positive integers needed
is that
if n>0

then
n1.


Answer



Suppose that 2=a/b, with a,b positive integers. Meaning a=b2. Consider A={mZm>0 and m2Z}.



Well, A, because bA. By the well-ordering principle, A has a least element, s. And s,s2Z>0. Then consider the integer: r=s2s.
We have r=s(21)<s, and r>0. But r2=2ss2 is again an integer. Hence rA and r<s, contradiction.


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