Math 171 Solutions To Homework Problems Spring 2005

Math 171
Solutions to homework problems
Spring 2005
Section 1.1
2
2(c) Solve |x x 1| < x .

Since x2 0 for all x, by Theorem 1.6 the given inequality is equivalent to
x2 < x2 x 1 < x2 , that is,
x2 < x2 x 1 and x2 x 1 < x2 . So we solve both inequalities and take the intersection
of their solution sets.
First we solve x2 < x2 x 1.
2x2 x 1 > 0
(2x + 1)(x 1) > 0
Case 1: 2x + 1 > 0 and x 1 > 0, so x > 21 and x > 1, therefore x > 1.
Case 2: 2x + 1 < 0 and x 1 < 0, so x < 21 and x < 1, therefore x < 21 .
Answer: (, 21 ) (1, ).
Now we solve x2 x 1 < x2 .
x + 1 > 0, so x > 1.
Answer: (1, ).
The intersection of the two answers above is (1, 21 ) (1, ).
4(7) Prove that 0 a < b and 0 c < d imply ac < bd. Show that this statement
is false if the hypothesis a 0 is removed.
Since c 0, multiplying both sides of a < b gives ac bc.
Since b > 0, multiplying both sides of c < d gives bc < bd.
So ac bc < bd. By transitivity, we have ac < bd.
If the hypothesis a 0 is removed and we only have a < b and 0 c < d then ac < bd may
not hold.
Counterexample: a = 2, b = 1, c = 3, d = 7. Then ac = 6 and bd = 7.
7(a) Prove that |x| < 1 implies |x2 1| 2|x 1|.
The inequality |x| 1 implies that 1 x 1 (we use Theorem 1.6 again). Adding 1 gives
0 x + 1 2, and since 2 < 0 we have 2 x + 1 2. Therefore |x + 1| 2. (Another
way to get this is to use the triangle inequality: |x + 1| |x| + |1| 1 + 1 = 2.)
Now multiply both sides of the inequality |x + 1| 2 by |x 1| (we can do this because
|x 1| 0):
|x + 1| |x 1| 2|x 1|.
By the multiplicative property of the absolute value, |(x + 1)(x 1)| 2|x 1|.
So |x2 1| 2|x 1|.
8(a) Find all values of n N that satisfy the inequality
Rewrite the inequality as
1n
< 0.01.
1 n2
1n
1
<
and simplify (note that n 6= 1):
(1 n)(1 + n)
100
1
1
<
1+n
100
100 < 1 + n (since both 100 and 1 + n are positive)
n > 99.
Section 1.2
n
X
1
a1
1(c) Prove that the formula
= 1 n holds for all n N and a 6= 0.
ak
a
k=1
We will prove this formula by induction on n.

1
X
a1
1
Basis step: if n = 1, the formula says
= 1 1 . The sum on the left hand side has
k
a
a
k=1
a 1
1
a1
= =1 .
only one term (k = 1), so the left hand side is
a1
a a
a
Inductive step: assume that the formula holds for n = m (althought traditionally k is used
in this step instead of m, in our problem the letter k is reserved for the summation index, so
m
X
a1
1
we have to use something else here), so assume that
= 1 m is true. We want to
k
a
a
prove that the formula is true for n = m + 1, i.e.
k=1
m+1
X
k=1
a1
1
= 1 m+1 .
k
a
a
m
1
a1
a1 X a1 a1
=
+ m+1 = 1 m + m+1 =
k
k
a
a
a
a
a
k=1
k=1
a
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 m + m+1 m+1 = 1 m + m m+1 = 1 m+1 . This completes the proof.
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
n
X
n
2(a) Use the Binomial Formula to prove that 2n =
for all n N.
k
k=0
n
X
n nk k
The Binomial Formula says that for any a, b R and any n N, (a + b)n =
a
b .
k
k=0
n
n
X
X
n nk k
n
n
n
In particular, if a = b = 1, it gives (1 + 1) =
1
1 , or 2 =
.
k
k
Using the inductive hypothesis, we have:
m+1
X
k=0
k=0
6(a) Prove that the inequality n < 2 holds for all n N.

The proof is by induction on n.
Basis step: if n = 1, 1 < 21 is true.
Inductive step: assume that the inequality holds for n = k, i.e. k < 2k . We want to prove
that the inequality holds for n = k + 1, i.e. k + 1 < 2k+1 .
We have: k + 1 < 2k + 1 < 2k + 2k = 2 2k = 2k+1 .
6(b) Prove that the inequality n2 2n + 1 holds for all n N.
Using the hint in the book, we first prove that the inequality 2n + 1 < 2n holds for n 3.
Basis step: if n = 3, 2 3 + 1 < 23 says that 7 < 8 which is true.
Inductive step: assume 2k + 1 < 2k is true, we want to prove that 2(k + 1) + 1 < 2k+1 is true.
We have: 2(k + 1) + 1 = 2k + 3 = (2k + 1) + 2 < 2k + 2 < 2k + 2k = 2k+1 .
Now we are ready to prove the inequality n2 2n + 1 for n 3.
Basis step: if n = 3, 32 23 + 1 is true since 9 = 8 + 1.
Inductive step: assume that k 2 2k + 1 is true, we want to prove that (k + 1)2 2k+1 + 1
is true (where k 3).
Using the inductive hypothesis and the inequality proved above we have:
(k + 1)2 = k 2 + (2k + 1) 2k + 1 + 2k = 2 2k + 1 = 2k+1 + 1.
Finally, we have to check our inequality for n = 1 and n = 2 since we only proved if for
n 3.
If n = 1, the inequality is 12 21 + 1 which is true, and if n = 2, it is 22 22 + 1 which is
also true. This completes the proof.
2

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Math 171

Solutions to homework problems

2(c) Solve |x x 1| < x .

We will prove this formula by induction on n.

Using the inductive hypothesis, we have:

6(a) Prove that the inequality n < 2 holds for all n N.

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