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Team Proof by Deduction Teachers
This statement can either be true or false, which makes it perfect for proof by deduction. You can split this statement into two parts: Today is a weekend (A); tomorrow must be a weekday (B). Mathematically, you can write it as:
\(A \rightarrow B\), where \(\rightarrow\) is the symbol meaning ‘implies’.
In Proof by Deduction, the truth of the statement is based on the truth of each part of the statement (A; B) and the strength of the logic connecting each part.
Statement A: ‘if today is a weekend’ gives us two answers, Saturday and Sunday, as these are the only two days of the weekend.
We then use our answers for statement A and statement B to test the logic of the main statement.
If today is Saturday, then tomorrow is a Sunday. Thus, the concluding statement is false. However, if today is Sunday, tomorrow is Monday, and the concluding statement is true.
Therefore, the logic of the concluding statement depends on statement A and is weak as a result.
In Maths, the concluding statements tend to have more conclusive answers (because numbers don’t lie!). To prove a mathematical conclusion (conjecture) by proof of deduction, you need strong mathematical axioms and logic.
Mathematical axioms are the mathematical concepts underlining the concluding statement.
To solve a Proof by Deduction question, you must:
Although most of these algebraic rules will be familiar to you, it is good to stay familiar with them as expressing axioms as a mathematical expression sometimes requires some creativity using these rules.
n stands in for any number.
Express n as a multiple of 12 mathematically.
A is 12. Therefore, the answer is 12n
Express the next two consecutive numbers after \(x^2\)
To get the following consecutive numbers, you add 1 to each consecutive number. Therefore, the first term is \(x^2\), the second term is \(x^2 + 1\), the third term is \(x^2 + 2\).
| Consecutive even numbers | 2n | 2n + 2 | 2n + 4 | |||
| Consecutive odd numbers | 2n + 1 | 2n + 3 | 2n + 5 |
We will now go through a few examples to show how you answer questions like these.
Prove the sum of two consecutive numbers is equivalent to the difference between two consecutive numbers squared.
As described above, you can algebraically express two consecutive numbers as n, n + 1 .
The sum of two consecutive numbers is therefore \(n + n + 1 = 2n +1\)
To find the difference between two consecutive numbers squared, you first have to square each consecutive number to get \((n)^2\) and \((n + 1)^2\).
Expanding out and simplifying the squares gives you:
\((n)^2 \quad becomes \quad n^2\)
\((n + 1)^2 = (n + 1) (n + 1) = n^2 + 2n + 1\)
Therefore the difference between two consecutive numbers squared is
\( n^2 + 2n + 1 - n^2 = 2n + 1\)
To finish off the question, you must write a concluding statement: The sum of two consecutive numbers and the difference between two consecutive numbers squared is equal to each other as they are both equal to 2n + 1.
Prove the answer to the equation \(x^2 + 8x + 20\) is always positive.
As you only want one variable of x, you need to complete the square with the equation.
As always, you need a concluding statement to explain the maths: Regardless of the value of x, by squaring it and adding 4, the value of the equation will always be positive.
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How do you use the deduction theorem?
1. Consider the logic of the conjecture.
2. Express the axiom as a mathematical expression where possible.
3. Solve through to see if the logic applies to the conjecture.
4. Make a concluding statement about the truth of the conjecture.
What are the basic rules of deduction?
There are no explicit rules to help prove by deduction. Instead, to prove a conjuncture through deduction, the truth of the second statement is based on the truth of the first.
Who introduced deductive proof?
Deductive reasoning was introduced by Aristotle.
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Lily Hulatt is a Digital Content Specialist with over three years of experience in content strategy and curriculum design. She gained her PhD in English Literature from Durham University in 2022, taught in Durham University’s English Studies Department, and has contributed to a number of publications. Lily specialises in English Literature, English Language, History, and Philosophy.
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