Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [proof-writing]

For questions about the formulation of a proof. This tag should not be the only tag for a question and should not be used to ask for a proof of a statement.

Questions with this tag are about the presentation of a mathematical proof. Questions might include:

  • Should I include [x-mathematical detail] at [y-part of this proof]?
  • Is the following a sufficient proof of [x-mathematical tidbit]?
  • I have written the following proof, could I somehow improve it, does it have good flow/can I improve readability?

But this tag is not for asking someone else to write a proof for you, or for how to answer some question. Questions such as: My professor asked me to prove the Pythagorean theorem and I don't know how to begin are not to have this tag.

This tag is intended for use along with other, more "mathematical" tags. A question about the writing of a proof in abstract algebra, for example, should have as well. This tag can be used along with the proof verification tag.

See here for a useful set of guidelines for writing a solution.

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Can every proof by contradiction also be shown without contradiction?

Are there some proofs that can only be shown by contradiction or can everything that can be shown by contradiction also be shown without contradiction? What are the advantages/disadvantages of proving by contradiction? As an aside, how is proving by…
sonicboom
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Why do people use "it is easy to prove"?

Math is not generally what I am doing, but I have to read some literature and articles in dynamic systems and complexity theory. What I noticed is that authors tend to use (quite frequently) the phrase "it is easy to see/prove/verify/..." in the…
oleksii
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Why are mathematical proofs that rely on computers controversial?

There are many theorems in mathematics that have been proved with the assistance of computers, take the famous four color theorem for example. Such proofs are often controversial among some mathematicians. Why is it so? I my opinion, shifting from…
Gerard
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Does notation ever become "easier"?

I'm in my first semester of college going for a math major and it's pretty great. I'm doing well, however, there seems to be huge gap between how difficult /complex an idea is and how convoluted it is presented. Let me make an example: In Analysis…
Jonathan
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Is it bad form to write mysterious proofs without explaining what one intends to do?

Often when doing assignments, I find myself deliberately writing in a "mysterious" way. By this I mean that the reader usually will not understand what exactly is going on and what for, until the very end where all the things come together. A…
Jaood
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Use of "without loss of generality"

Why do we use "without loss of generality" when writing proofs? Is it necessary or convention? What "synonym" can be used?
Pedro
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Will assuming the existence of a solution ever lead to a contradiction?

I'm reading Manfredo Do Carmo's differential geometry book. In section 1-7, he discusses the "Isoperimetric Inequality" which is related to the question of what 2-dimensional shape maximizes the enclosed area for a closed curve of constant length.…
Geoffrey
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Is it technically incorrect to write proofs forward?

A question on an assignment was similar to prove: $$2a^2-7ab+2b^2 \geq -3ab.$$ and my proof was: $$2a^2-4ab+2b^2\geq0$$ $$a^2-2ab+b^2\geq0$$ $$(a-b)^2\geq0$$ which is true. However, my professor marked this as incorrect and the "correct" way to do…
mtheorylord
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How do I prove that a function is well defined?

How do you in general prove that a function is well-defined? $$f:X\to Y:x\mapsto f(x)$$ I learned that I need to prove that every point has exactly one image. Does that mean that I need to prove the following two things: Every element in the domain…
Kasper
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How does a non-mathematician go about publishing a proof in a way that ensures it to be up to the mathematical community's standards?

I'm a computer science student who is a maths hobbyist. I'm convinced that I've proven a major conjecture. The problem lies in that I've never published anything before and am not a mathematician by profession. Knowing full well that my proof may be…
Balbanna
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What is a proof?

I am just a high school student, and I haven't seen much in mathematics (calculus and abstract algebra). Mathematics is a system of axioms which you choose yourself for a set of undefined entities, such that those entities satisfy certain basic…
user78743
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how to be good at proving?

I'm starting my Discrete Math class, and I was taught proving techniques such as proof by contradiction, contrapositive proof, proof by construction, direct proof, equivalence proof etc. I know how the proving system works and I can understand the…
uohzxela
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Strategies to denest nested radicals $\sqrt{a+b\sqrt{c}}$

I have recently read some passage about nested radicals, I'm deeply impressed by them. Simple nested radicals $\sqrt{2+\sqrt{2}}$,$\sqrt{3-2\sqrt{2}}$ which the later can be denested into $1-\sqrt{2}$. This may be able to see through easily, but how…
JSCB
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Could I be using proof by contradiction too much?

Lately, I've developed a habit of proving almost everything by contradiction. Even for theorems for which direct proofs are the clear choice, I'd just start by writing "Assume not" then prove it directly, thereby reaching a "contradiction." Is this…
user64844
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Prove: If a sequence converges, then every subsequence converges to the same limit.

I need some help understanding this proof: Prove: If a sequence converges, then every subsequence converges to the same limit. Proof: Let $s_{n_k}$ denote a subsequence of $s_n$. Note that $n_k \geq k$ for all $k$. This easy to prove by induction:…
CodeKingPlusPlus
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