SPC 2302 Design and Analysis

of Computer Algorithm
Lecture 3 Correctness Proof
 Methods of Proof
• Proof by Contradiction
– Assume a theorem is false; show that this assumption implies a
property known to be true is false -- therefore original hypothesis
must be true

• Proof by Counterexample
– Use a concrete example to show an inequality cannot hold

• Mathematical Induction
– Prove a trivial base case, assume true for k, then show hypothesis is
true for k+1
– Used to prove recursive algorithms
Definition

Suppose we have a formula F(n) which we wish to show is true

for all values n ≥ n0
• Usually n0 = 0 or n0 = 1

For example, we may wish to show that

n
n ( n + 1)
F (n) =  k =
k =0 2

for all n ≥ 0
Definition

We then proceed by:

• Demonstrating that F(n0) is true
• Assuming that the formula F(n) is true for an
arbitrary n
• If we are able to demonstrate that this
assumption allows us to also show that the
formula is true for F(n + 1), the inductive
principle allows us to conclude that the
formula is true for all n ≥ n0
Definition

Thus, if F(n0) is true, F(n0 + 1) is true

and, if F(n0 + 1) is true, F(n0 + 2) is true
and, if F(n0 + 2) is true, F(n0 + 3) is true
and so on, and so on, for all n ≥ n0
Formulation
Often F(n) is an equation:
• For example, F(n) may be an equation such as:

n
n ( n + 1)

k =0
k=
2
for n  0
n

 2 k
k =1
− 1 = n 2
for n  1
n

 2 k

k =0
= 2 n +1
− 1 for n  0

It may also be a statement:

• The integer n3 – n is divisible by 3 for all n ≥ 1
Example 1
n
n ( n + 1)
k =
Prove that k =0 2 is true for n ≥ 0
0
0 ( 0 + 1)
• When n = 0: 
k =0=
k =0 2
n
n ( n + 1)
• Assume that the statement is true for a given n: k =
k =0 2
• We now show:
n +1 n

 k = ( n + 1) +  k
k =0 k =0
Example 1
n
n ( n + 1)
k =
Prove that k =0 2 is true for n ≥ 0
0
0 ( 0 + 1)
• When n = 0: 
k =0=
k =0 2
n
n ( n + 1)
• Assume that the statement is true for a given n: k =
k =0 2
• We now show:
n +1 n

 k = ( n + 1) +  k
k =0 k =0

n ( n + 1)
= ( n + 1) +
2
2 ( n + 1) + n ( n + 1)
=
2

=
( n + 2 )( n + 1) = ( n + 1)( n + 2 )
2 2
Example 2

n first n odd integers is n2:

Prove that the sum of the
 2k − 1 = n2 for n  1
k =1
1

• When n = 1:  2k − 1 = 1 = 1
k =1
2

• Assume that the statement is true for a given n:  2k − 1 = n

k =1
2

• We now show:
n +1 n

 2k − 1 = 2 ( n + 1) − 1 +  2k − 1
k =1 k =0
Example 2

n first n odd integers is n2:

Prove that the sum of the
 2k − 1 = n2 for n  1
k =1
1

• When n = 1:  2k − 1 = 1 = 1
k =1
2

• Assume that the statement is true for a given n:  2k − 1 = n

k =1
2

• We now show:
n +1 n

 2k − 1 = 2 ( n + 1) − 1 +  2k − 1
k =1 k =1

= 2 ( n + 1) − 1 + n 2
= 2n + 2 − 1 + n 2
= n 2 + 2n + 1
= ( n + 1)
2
Example 3
n

 2
Prove that k =0
k
= 2 n +1
−1
for n ≥ 0
0

• When n = 0:
2
k =0
k
= 20 = 1 = 20+1 − 1

• Assume that the statement is true for a given n: 2

k =0
k
= 2n +1 − 1
• We now show:
n +1 n

2
k =0
k
=2 n +1
+  2k
k =0
Justification

The induction principle can either be assumed in a

mathematical system as an axiom, or it can be derived from
other axioms

Alternatively, it can be deduced from other axioms, such as:

• The natural numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, …) are linearly ordered
• Every natural number is either 0 or the successor of another natural
number
• The successor is by definition greater than what it succeeds
Justification

You may ask: “Suppose you’ve proved some formula F(n) for
by induction to be true for all n = 0, 1, 2, …; all we really showed
was that F(0) is true—could it not fail for some larger value
F(k)?
Suppose that there is a k such that F(k) is false
• There must be a smallest value k > 0 such that
F(k – 1) is true but
F(k) is false
• But the inductive step showed that if F(k – 1) is true, it must also be
true that F(k) is true!
• Thus, no such smallest k can exist
• Thus, no subset of N can have F(n) be false