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Fermat's little theorem and some proofs; Gödel's completeness theorem and its original proof; Mathematical induction and a proof; Proof that 0.999... equals 1; Proof that 22/7 exceeds π; Proof that e is irrational; Proof that π is irrational; Proof that the sum of the reciprocals of the primes diverges
An elementary proof is a proof which only uses basic techniques. More specifically, the term is used in number theory to refer to proofs that make no use of complex analysis . For some time it was thought that certain theorems, like the prime number theorem , could only be proved using "higher" mathematics.
These proofs of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra must make use of the following two facts about real numbers that are not algebraic but require only a small amount of analysis (more precisely, the intermediate value theorem in both cases):
In mathematics, certain kinds of mistaken proof are often exhibited, and sometimes collected, as illustrations of a concept called mathematical fallacy.There is a distinction between a simple mistake and a mathematical fallacy in a proof, in that a mistake in a proof leads to an invalid proof while in the best-known examples of mathematical fallacies there is some element of concealment or ...
Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers (a, b, c) can satisfy the equation a n + b n = c n for any integer value of n greater than 2. (For n equal to 1, the equation is a linear equation and has a solution for every possible a and b.
The resulting identity is one of the most commonly used in mathematics. Among many uses, it gives a simple proof of the AM–GM inequality in two variables. The proof holds in any commutative ring. Conversely, if this identity holds in a ring R for all pairs of elements a and b, then R is commutative. To see this, apply the distributive law to ...
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Authors sometimes dub these proofs "abstract nonsense" as a light-hearted way of alerting readers to their abstract nature. Labeling an argument "abstract nonsense" is usually not intended to be derogatory, [ 2 ] [ 1 ] and is instead used jokingly, [ 3 ] in a self-deprecating way, [ 4 ] affectionately, [ 5 ] or even as a compliment to the ...