Mathematical Reasoning

GED0103 - Mathematics in the Modern World

Department of Mathematics,
Institute of Arts and Sciences,
Far Eastern University, Sampaloc, Manila
 Outline

i. Inductive Reasoning
ii. Deductive Reasoning
iii. Counterexamples

N. Blas ; J. Eugenio
2 GED0103 Mathematics in the Modern World – MATHEMATICAL REASONING
 Inductive Reasoning

❑ The process of reaching a general conclusion by examining specific

examples.
❑ The conclusion formed by using inductive reasoning is often called
a conjecture, since it may or may not be correct.

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 Example 1
Use inductive reasoning to predict the next number in each
number series below.

a) 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, ?
b) 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ?

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 SOLUTION:

a) Each successive number is 3 larger than the preceding number.

Thus we predict that the next number in the list is 3 larger than 15,
which is 18.
b) The first two numbers differ by 2. The second and third numbers
differ by 3. It appears that the difference between any two
numbers is always 1 more than the preceding difference. Since 10
and 15 differ by 5, we predict that the next number in the list will be
6 larger than 15, which is 21.

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 Scientists often use inductive reasoning.
For instance, Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) used inductive reasoning to discover
that the time required for a pendulum to complete one swing (the period of
the pendulum) depends on the length of the pendulum. Having no clock, he
measured the periods of pendulums in “heartbeats.”
The following table shows some results obtained for pendulums of various
lengths. For convenience, a length of 10 inches has been designated as 1 unit.

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 Example 2
Use inductive reasoning from the data below to make a
conjecture, answering the following questions.

a) If a pendulum has a length of 49 units, what is its period?

b) If the length of a pendulum is quadrupled, what happens
to its period?

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 SOLUTION:
a) In the table, each pendulum has a period that
is the square root of its length. Thus, we
conjecture that a pendulum with a length of
49 units will have a period of 7 heartbeats.

b) In the table, a pendulum with a length of 4

units has a period that is twice that of a
pendulum with a length of 1 unit. A pendulum
with a length of 16 units has a period that is
twice that of a pendulum with a length of 4
units. It appears that quadrupling the
length of pendulum doubles its period.

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 Deductive Reasoning

❑ The process of reaching a conclusion by applying general

assumptions, procedures, or principles.

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 Example 3
Use deductive reasoning to establish a conjecture, showing that
the following procedure produces a number that is four times
the original number.

PROCEDURE
Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the product,
divide the sum by 2, and subtract 3.

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 SOLUTION:

Let 𝑛 represent the original number.

Multiply the number by 8: 8𝑛
Add 6 to the product: 8𝑛 + 6
8𝑛+6
Divide the sum by 2: = 4𝑛 + 3
2
Subtract 3: 4𝑛 + 3 − 3 = 4𝑛
We started with 𝑛 and ended with 4𝑛. The procedure given in this
example gives a number that is four times the original number.

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 Example 4
Determine whether each of the following arguments is an
example of inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning.

a) During the past 10 years, a tree has yielded tangerines every

other year. Last year the tree did not bear fruit, so this year
the tree will fruit.
b) All home improvements cost more than the estimate. The
contractor estimated that my home improvement will cost
Php 350,000. Thus, my home improvement will cost more
than Php 350,000.

N. Blas ; J. Eugenio
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 SOLUTION:

a) This argument reaches a conclusion based on specific examples,

(fruiting every other year in the past) so it is an example of
inductive reasoning.

b) Because the conclusion is a specific case of a general

assumptions (home improvements costing more than the
estimate is an all-time given), this argument is an example of
deductive reasoning.

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 Counterexample

❑ A statement is a true statement, provided it is true in all cases.

❑ If you can find at least one case for which a statement is not true,
then the statement is false. This case that debunks a statement is
called a counterexample.

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 Example 5

All cats are furry.

The statement “All cats are furry” is

FALSE, since we know that Sphynx
cat breed has little to no fur.

One counterexample is enough to

prove that a statement is false.

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 Example 6

Verify that the statements below are false by finding

a counterexample.

For all numbers 𝑥:

a) x >0
b) x 2 > x

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 SOLUTION:

A statement may have many counterexamples, but we need only find one
counterexample to debunk a statement.

a) Let 𝑥 = 0. Then 0 = 0. Because 0 is not greater than 0, we have found a

counterexample. Thus “for all number 𝑥, 𝑥 > 0” is a false statement.

b) For 𝑥 = 1 we have 12 = 1. Since 1 is not greater than 1, we have found a

counterexample. Thus “for all number 𝑥, 𝑥 2 > 𝑥“ is a false statement.

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 Any questions?
If you have questions about our discussion today,
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