answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Proving statements can be challenging if you are not used to know some math definitions and forms. This is the pre-requisites of proving things! Math maturity is the plus. Math maturity is the term that describes the mixture of mathematical experience and insight that can't be learned. If you have some feelings of understanding the theorems and proofs, you will be able to work out the proof by yourself!

Formulating a proof all depends on the statement given, though the steps of proving statements are usually the same. Here, I list some parts in formulating the proof in terms of general length of the proof.

"Let/assume [something something]. Prove that [something something]"

  1. Read the whole statement several times.
  2. Start off with what is given for the problem. You can write "we want to show that [something something]"
  3. Apply the definitions/lemmas/theorems for the given. Try not to skip steps when proving things. Proving by intuition is considered to be the example of this step.

"Let/assume [something something]. If [something something], then show/prove [something something]"

The steps for proving that type of statement are similar to the ones above it.

"Prove that [something something] if and only if (iff) [something something]"

This can sometimes be tricky when you prove this type of statement. That is because the steps of proving statements are not always irreversible or interchangeable.

To prove that type of statement, you need to prove the converse and the conditional of the statement.

When proving the conditional statement, you are proving "if [something something], then [something something]". To understand which direction you are proving, indicate the arrow. For instance, ← means that you are proving the given statement on the right to the left, which is needed to be proved.

When proving the converse statement, you switch the method of proving the whole statement. This means that you are proving the given statement from "left" to "right". Symbolically, you are proving this way: →.

Note: Difficulty varies, depending on your mathematical experience and how well you can understand the problem.

Another Note: If you fail in proof, then try again! Have the instructor to show you how to approach the proof. Think of proving things as doing computation of numbers! They are related to each other because they deal with steps needed to be taken to prove the statement.

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: How do you do mathematical proof?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Movies & Television

What are the Math proof letters?

QED from the Latin "quod erat demonstrandum", meaning "that which was to be demonstrated", normally put at the end of a mathematical proof


What is the proof for the distance formula?

There are very many different mathematical definitions of distance: the Euclidean metric, the Minkovski metric are two common examples. The proof will be different.


Would you like to see my proof that odd perfect numbers don't exist?

Not really. If it were a sound proof, it would be quickly published in any number of mathematical journals, not first on Answers.com. However, if you have a subtly flawed proof that purports to solve this ancient question, it might be entertaining as an exercise in proof analysis.


Do the theorems for junior certificate maths have to be exactly right or do they just have to make sense?

There is more than one way to prove a given mathematical proposition. If the sequence of reasoning is valid, then the proof is correct. That is all that is required.


Proof that grahams number is the largest number?

No such proof can exist within consistent axioms - to add 1 to Graham's number would generate a larger number, and so, by this counterexample, Graham's number cannot be the largest. It is the largest used in a mathematical proof, because all proofs have been noted in a proof 'by exhaustion', in which all cases (in this case, proofs) have been verified to have smaller constants .

Related questions

What is the name of the branch of math that has to do with reasoning and proof?

Mathematical logic and proof theory (a branch of mathematical logic) for proof


What can justify the steps of a proof?

Mathematical logic.


What type of reasoning does a mathematical proof use?

Deductive reasoning In mathematics, a proof is a deductive argument for a mathematical statement. Deductive reasoning, unlike inductive reasoning, is a valid form of proof. It is, in fact, the way in which geometric proofs are written.


Which types of reasons are not valid in a mathematical proof?

Unproven Theorems


What are the Math proof letters?

QED from the Latin "quod erat demonstrandum", meaning "that which was to be demonstrated", normally put at the end of a mathematical proof


A word that means carefully and accurately expressed?

In math, a mathematical proof. In general, a precise answer.


What is a proof in math?

"In mathematics, a proof is a demonstration that if some fundamental statements (axioms) are assumed to be true, then some mathematical statement is necessarily true." (from Wikipedia)


What is the difference between an empirical proof and a mathematical proof?

Empirical proof is "dependent on evidence or consequences that are observable by the senses. Empirical data is data that is produced by experiment or observation."( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empirical )"In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration that some mathematical statement is necessarily true, within the accepted standards of the field. A proof is a logically deduced argument, not an empirical one."( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_proof )


What are the 2 major parts of physics?

concept & mathematical proof of the earth itself and the chemistry of water


What is the mathematical proof of sine theta over theta is equal to 1?

There is none because it is not true.


What is the proof for the distance formula?

There are very many different mathematical definitions of distance: the Euclidean metric, the Minkovski metric are two common examples. The proof will be different.


How you proove 1 equals 2?

This 'proof' is a well known mathematical fallacy that is actually proving that: 1