Mathematical Proof

Sherida Grajo & Adrian Nava
BT-ELX 1A
Statement:
A mathematical proof is a story about mathematics that works.
Discussion:
Part of the difficulties of people in understanding the notion of proofs stem from the fact that
people do not have the right picture of what mathematics is. From elementary school through
the first years of college we teach people that the goal is to solve an equation or to find a
minimum of a function or to find how much wheat we should grow. This is of course something
that mathematics can do, but it is not what mathematics is about. Mathematics is about
understanding the laws behind numbers, algebra and geometry. A proof is a logical argument
that tries to show that a statement is true. In math, and computer science, a proof has to be
well thought out and tested before being accepted. But even then, a proof can be discovered
to have been wrong. Mathematical or not, proof is an argument or explanation that shows that
something is absolutely true, beyond any shadow of a doubt. As such, it cannot rely on
physical evidence or personal experience, since these things are far too ambiguous to offer
anything to a mathematical proof. Mathematical proof uses logic to show that, if we take one
thing to be true, then another thing must also be true. We cannot prove anything to be True
without first assuming something, or else we would simply not be able to start the proof.
There are many different ways to go about proving something. A mathematical proof may be
written using a paragraph, two-columns, or using a flow chart. The two-column proof is the
method we use to present a logical argument using a table with two columns. Important
information is usually given to help begin a proof and is usually the starting point of all proofs.
The most common form of explicit proof in geometry is a two column proof. A two-column
proof is one common way to organize a proof in geometry. Two-column proofs always have
two columns: one for statements and one for reasons.
Given:
ray BX bisects ∠ ABC
Prove:
∠1 ≅ ∠3
STATEMENT REASONS
ray BX bisects ∠ ABC Given

∠1 ≅ ∠2 Definition of ∠ Bisector
∠2 ≅ ∠3 Vertical ∠’s are congruent
∠1 ≅ ∠3 Transitive (Substitution)
For further explanation the given was ray BX bisects ∠ABC and we’re asked to prove that ∠1
≅ ∠3. This proof should make sense because if ray BX bisects ∠ ABC then ∠1 ≅ ∠2 by the
definition of ∠ Bisector and we know that ∠2 ≅ ∠3 because vertical ∠’s are congruent.
Therefore since ∠1 ≅ ∠2 and ∠2 ≅ ∠3 we can say that ∠1 ≅ ∠3 by the transitive property.
Transitive property is a form of a substitution. Since the second step states that ∠1 ≅ ∠2, we
can substitute ∠1 and for the ∠2 in the third step and we have ∠1 ≅ ∠3.
Proof by construction is another method in mathematical proof. Before diving in, we’ll need to
explain some terminology. A theorem is a mathematical statement which is proven to be true.
A statement that has been proven true in order to further help in proving another statement is
called a lemma. Many theorems state that a specific type or occurrence of an object exists.
One method for proving the existence of such an object is to prove that P ? Q (P implies Q). In
other words, we would demonstrate how we would build that object to show that it can exist. A
proof by construction is just that, we want to prove something by showing how it can come to
be. There are only two steps to a direct proof :
1. Assume that P is true.

2. Use P to show that Q must be true.
Theorem: If a and b are consecutive integers, the sum of a + b must be an odd number.
Following the steps we laid out before, we first assume that our theorem is true. We then can
say that since a and b are consecutive integers, b is equal to a + 1. In that case, a + b can be
rewritten as a + a + 1 or 2a + 1. Therefore, we can say that a + b = 2k + 1. We know that any
number multiplied by an even number must be even. We also know that if we add 1 to any
even number, it becomes odd. Given these, we can say: a + b = 2k + 1 shows that a + b is
odd.
Another method is the proof by contradiction, it is a common form of proving a theorem is

assuming the theorem is false, and then show that the assumption is false itself, and is
therefore a contradiction.
Theorem: If n² is even, then n is even.
Given this theorem, let’s assume that n² is even but n is odd. We’re assuming that the theorem
is false. As we showed in the previous section, an odd number can be characterized by n = 2k
+ 1. Using that definition for an odd number we say the following:
n² = (2k + 1)² = 4k²+ 4k + 1 = 2(2k² + 2k) + 1
Or more concisely, n² = 2(2k² + 2k) + 1. If we let m = 2k² + 2k, we get n² = 2m + 1. Using the
definition for odd numbers that we mentioned before, we must say that n² is odd. In our
assumption, we declared n² to be even. A contradiction! Since our assumption cannot be, then
n² must be even, and we’ve proven the original theorem.
We looked at a few different types of proofs and how they really work. We can use these
methods to make logical arguments about the validity of some statement in everyday life, or in
the code that we right, or in countless of other situations.

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Sherida Grajo & Adrian Nava

ray BX bisects ∠ ABC Given

1. Assume that P is true.

Another method is the proof by contradiction, it is a common form of proving a theorem is

Theorem: If n² is even, then n is even.

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