CSC236 Tutorial #1

Sample Solutions
Winter 2016

1. Aaron and Bianca play the following game: they place on a table two piles containing an equal number
of matches. They take turns removing some (non-zero) number of matches from one of the piles; the
player whose turn it is can choose which pile. The player removing the last match from the table wins.
Use induction to show that if Aaron goes first, Bianca has a winning strategy. That is, she can win no
matter how Aaron plays.

Solution: As the first step, we define the predicate which we want to prove:
P (n) : starting from two piles of n matches each, and given the rules of the game, if Aaron moves first,
Bianca can win.
The goal is to prove for all n ∈ N, n ≥ 1, P (n).
Base Case: Let k = 1.
Then P (k) is true since the only move possible for Aaron is to take the only match from one of the
two piles. Bianca removes the 1 match in the other pile and wins.

Induction Step: Let k ∈ N. Suppose for all j ∈ N, 1 ≤ j < k, P (j) is true. [IH]
WTP: P (k) holds.
Starting from two piles of k matches, Aaron will have to choose a pile and remove i matches from it
where 1 ≤ i ≤ k. There are two possibilities:

Case 1: i = k. After Aaron’s move, there is only one pile left with k matches. Bianca can remove all
those n matches on her turn and win.
Case 2: 1 ≤ i < k. After Aaron’s move, Bianca will remove exactly i matches from the other pile.
This leaves two piles of k − i matches, and it is again Aarons turn to play. We can view this as the
beginning of a fresh game with k − i matches in each pile. Since 1 ≤ k − i < k, by IH, Bianca can win
the game.

2. Use induction to prove that for all natural numbers n ≥ 3, (1 + n1 )n ≤ n.

Solution: Let P (n) denote the assertion that the inequality (1 + n1 )n ≤ n holds.

Base Case: Let k = 3. (Note that since we’re asked to prove the statement for n ≥ 3, the base case
is to prove P (3).)

Then we have
1
(1 + )3 = 2.370 < 3.
3
Therefore, P (3) is true.

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 Induction Step: Let k ∈ N, and k ≥ 3. Suppose P (k) is true, i.e., (1 + k1 )k ≤ k. [IH]
1 k+1
WTP: P (k + 1) holds, i.e., (1 + k+1 ) ≤ k + 1.

(1 + k1 )k ≤ k # By IH

Then (1 + k1 )k × (1 + k1 ) ≤ k(1 + k1 ) # Multiply both sides by the positive value (1 + k1 )

Then (1 + k1 )k+1 ≤ k + 1 # Algebra

1 k+1
On the other hand, (1 + k+1 ) ≤ (1 + k1 )k+1 # Since 1
k+1 ≤ 1
k

1 k+1
Therefore, (1 + k+1 ) ≤ k + 1.

3. (Exercise 7 in Chapter 1 of the course notes) Use induction to prove that, for any integers m ≥ 2 and
n ≥ 1,
n
X mn+1 − 1
mt = .
t=0
m−1

mn+1 −1
Pn
Solution: Let m ∈ N, and m ≥ 2. Let P (n) denote the assertion that the equality t=0 mt = m−1
holds.

Base Case: Since we’re asked to prove the statement for n ≥ 1, we can ignore the case where n = 0
(although P (0) is also true). So, the base case is to prove P (1) holds.

Let k = 1.
k
X 1
X
t
m = mt
t=0 t=0
= m0 + m1
=m+1
(m + 1)(m − 1)
=
m−1
m2 − 1
=
m−1
mk+1 − 1
=
m−1
Therefore, P (1) is true.

mk+1 −1
Pk
Induction Step: Let k ∈ N, and k ≥ 1. Suppose P (k) is true, i.e., t=0 mt = m−1 . [IH]
Pk+1 k+2
WTP: P (k + 1) holds, i.e., t=0 mt = mm−1−1 .

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 k+1
X k
X
mt = mt + mk+1 # By definition of summation
t=0 t=0
k+1
m −1
= + mk+1 # By IH
m−1
mk+1 − 1 + mk+1 (m − 1)
=
m−1
mk+1 (1 + m − 1) − 1
= # Factoring out mk+1
m−1
mk+2 − 1
=
m−1
Therefore, P (k + 1) is true.

4. Suppose that h0 , h1 , h2 , ... is a sequence defined as follows:

h0 =1,
h1 =2,
h2 =3,
hk =hk−1 + hk−2 + hk−3 for all integers k ≥ 3.
Prove that hn ≤ 3n for all integers n ≥ 0.
Solution: Let P (n) denote the assertion that the inequality hn ≤ 3n holds.

Base Case: There are three base cases: k = 0, k = 1, and k = 2.

Let k = 0. Then hk = h0 = 1 ≤ 3k = 30 = 1. Then P (0) holds.
Let k = 1. Then hk = h1 = 2 ≤ 3k = 31 = 3. Then P (1) holds.
Let k = 2. Then hk = h2 = 3 ≤ 3k = 32 = 9. Then P (2) holds.

Induction Step: Let k ∈ N. Suppose for all j ∈ N, 0 ≤ j < k, P (j) is true, i.e., hj ≤ 3j . [IH]
Also assume that k ≥ 3 (note that this assumption can be made because in the base case we’ve shown
that P (0), P (1), and P (2) hold).
WTP: P (k) holds, i.e., hk ≤ 3k .

hk = hk−1 + hk−2 + hk−3 # By definition of the sequence

k−1 k−2 k−3
≤3 +3 +3 # By IH (note that we can apply IH b.c. 0 ≤ k − 3, k − 2, k − 1 < k
k−3 2
=3 (3 + 3 + 1) # Factoring out 3k−3
= 13 × 3k−3
≤ 33 × 3k−3
= 3k

Therefore, P (k) is true.

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