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  #1  
Old 09-29-2005, 04:55 PM
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Default Divisibility by 5

I'm trying to prove that for all integer values of n

9^n - 4^n is a multiple of 5 by induction. I have having trouble that p(n) implies p(n+1). If anyone knows how to do this, any help would be appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 09-29-2005, 05:04 PM
TomCollins TomCollins is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

9^(n+1) = 9 * 9^n, 4^(n+1) = 4* 4^n,

9^(n+1) - 4^(n+1) = 9* 9^(n) - 9* 4^(n) + 5*4^(n)= 9 * ( some multiple of 5) + 5*(some integer)
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  #3  
Old 09-29-2005, 05:07 PM
Cooker Cooker is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

This is simple 9^(n+1)-4^(n+1)=9*9^n-4*4^n=5*9^n+4*(9^n-4^n) which is trivially divisible by 5 if 9^n-4^n is.
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  #4  
Old 09-29-2005, 05:08 PM
TomCollins TomCollins is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

Let me try to clear this up a bit:
Let 9^n - 4^n = 5*i where i is some integer.

9^(n+1) - 4^(n+1) = 9*(9^n) - 4*(4^n) = 9*(9^n) - 9*(4^n) + 5*(4^n) = 9*(9^n -4^n) + 5* 4^n) = 9*(5*i) + 5*4^n = 5*(9*i + 4^n).

QED.
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  #5  
Old 09-29-2005, 05:08 PM
Cooker Cooker is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

Beat me by 3 minutes. I knew I shouldn't have looked over the reasoning that extra time.
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  #6  
Old 09-29-2005, 06:38 PM
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

thank you
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  #7  
Old 09-29-2005, 07:38 PM
Cooker Cooker is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

No problem.

The crux of the proof is that 9=4+5. I believe that it is a trivial extension to further show that for any three natural numbers A,B,C such that A=B+C that C divides A^n - B^n for all n. I think this is totally obvious, but am too lazy to check carefully. This is probably well known, but I am too much of a mathematics novice to be aware of that or not. I did check a few cases and it always worked.
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  #8  
Old 09-30-2005, 01:20 PM
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that it is a trivial extension to further show that for any three natural numbers A,B,C such that A=B+C that C divides A^n - B^n for all n.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's simply because A = B mod C. No induction required.
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  #9  
Old 09-30-2005, 02:55 PM
TomCollins TomCollins is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

9 = 5 mod 4? Try again.
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  #10  
Old 09-30-2005, 07:17 PM
AlphaWice AlphaWice is offline
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Default Re: Divisibility by 5

He means 9 = 4 mod 5.

Look: (5 + 4)^n - 4^n mod 5 is obviously equal to 4^n - 4^n mod 5, which is 0 mod 5.
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