Algebra Assignment - I

Pranshu Bhatnagar
August 24, 2014
Problem 1. If y 0 R and n N prove that there exists a unique x 0
such that x
n
= y
Solution 1. We start with an introductory lemma which we use throughout.
Lemma 0.1. For x, y > 0 (x < y) (x
n
< y
n
)
Proof. We use the principle of mathematical induction.
P(1) : x < y x < y which is true
Now assume that the statement is true till some n N
ie. P(n) : x < y x
n
< y
n
Then we have :
(x < y x
n
< y
n
) = (x
n+1
< y
n
x) but as x < y =y
n
x < y
n+1
therefore x
n+1
< y
n+1
Consider the set S R consisting of all elements a such that a
n
< y
Claim S has an LUB
Proof. We observe that as y R then using the Archemedean principle we can
always nd an element x

N such that
1
y
< x

and thus
1
x

< y and thus

1
x
n
< y and nally
1
x

S therefore S is non empty.

Again, using the Archemedean principle we know that a N such that a > y
therefore a
n
> y
If x S then x
n
< y < a
n
therefore x < a therefore S is bounded above. =
LUB of S exists.
Let the LUB be p
Claim p
n
= y
Proof. Let if possible p
n
not = y
Case I: p
n
< y
Now there an R > 0 (p +)
n
=

n
k=0

n
k

p
k

nk
1
= p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k

nk
)
if < 1 then p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k

nk
< p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k

Therefore,
p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
< y p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
= p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
p
n
+

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
< y

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
< y - p
n
<
yp
n

n1
k=0
nkp
k
Now we choose an such that <
yp
n

n1
k=0

n
k

p
k
and < 1
Therefore (p +)
n
< y
Therefore p + S
As p + > p, p is not an upper bound of S.
This is a Contradiction.
Therefore p
n
y
Case II: p
n
> y
Assuming similar as before, we get
(p )
n
=

n
k=1

n
k

p
nk
()
k
> p
n
+

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1
()
2k1
As < 1 =p
n
+

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1
()
2k1
>

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1
() = p
n

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1
p
n

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1
> y
p
n
y >

n+1
2

k=1

n
2k1

p
n2k+1

p
n
y

n+1
2

k=1
(
n
C
2k1
)p
n2k+1
>
Now we choose an > 0 such that <
p
n
y

n+1
2

k=1
(
n
C
2k1
)p
n2k+1
and < 1
This means that (p )
n
> y
Now if x S then x
n
< y < (p )
n
But by our lemma that means p < p But > 0
This contradicts the fact that p= LUB of S and thus x such that x
n
= y
Problem 2. Given x, y R such that x < y then show that (x, y) Q =
Solution 2. 0 < y x
By the Archemedean principle, there an n N such that
1
n
< y x = 1< ny - nx =nx+1<ny
= nx <nx + 1 <ny
Again by the Archemedean principle,
= nx < m nx + 1 < ny
= x <
m
n
x +
1
n
< y
= x <
m
n
< y
Now
m
n
R m, n
= (x, y) Q =
Problem 3. What if x R in Problem 1
2
Solution 3. We observe that when n is odd, we can always neglect the case as
odd exponents dont change the sign of the base However, when n is even, there
can be 2 possible x namely x satisfying the equation x
n
= y
Problem 4. Prove that x, y N x
n
y
n
Solution 4. We attempt using the principle of mathematical induction.
Proposition for the nth term will be denoted by P(n)
P(1) : x y = x y: True
Let P(n) = x
n
y
n
= (x y)(x
n1
+yx
n2
+... +xy
n2
+y
n1
) be true
Then, P(n + 1) = x
n+1
y
n+1
= x
n+1
x
n
y y
n+1
+ x
n
y = x
n
(x y) +
y(x
n
y
n
) = x
n
(x y) + y(x y)(x
n1
+ yx
n2
+ ... + xy
n2
+ y
n1
) =
(x y)(x
n
+ y(x
n1
+ yx
n2
+ ... + xy
n2
+ y
n1
)) = (x y)(x
n
+ yx
n1
+
y
2
x
n2
+... +x
2
y
n2
+xy
n1
+y
n
)) :True
Thus P(n+1) is true whenever P(n) is true and therefore by principle of math-
ematical induction, P(k) is true k N.
We do not use the axioms of multiplicative identity and inverse for this proof.
Problem 5. Prove the binomial theorem for N
Solution 5. We attempt using the principle of mathematical induction.
Proposition for the nth term will be denoted by P(n)
P(1) : (x +y)
1
= x +y : True
P(n) : (x +y)
n
=

n
k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk
P(n + 1) : (x +y)
n+1
= (x +y)(x +y)
n
= x(x +y)
n
+y(x +y)
n
= x

n
k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk
+ y

n
k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk
=

n
k=0

n
k

x
k+1
y
nk
+

n
k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk+1
=

n
0

xy
n
+

n
1

x
2
y
n1
+ +

n
n1

x
n
y +

n
n

x
n+1
+

n
0

yx
n
+

n
1

y
2
x
n1
+
+

n
n1

y
n
x

n
n

y
n+1
=x
n+1
+ x
n
y [

n
0

n
1

] +x
n1
y
2
[

n
1

n
2

] +x
n2
y
3
[

n
2

n
3

]. . .
xy
n
[

n
n2

n
n1

] +y
n+1
[

n
n1

n
n

]
Now we use Pascals identity ie.

n
r

n
r+1

n+1
r+1

to get
x
n+1
+ x
n
y

n+1
1

+x
n1
y
2

n+1
2

+x
n2
y
3

n+1
3

. . . xy
n

n+1
n1

+y
n+1

n+1
n+1

n+1
k=0

n
k

x
nk
y
k
=

n+1
k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk
And thus P(n + 1) is true whenever P(n) is true = P(n) is true n N
We do not use the axioms of additive identity and inverse and we also dont
make use of the multiplicative inverse in the proof
3