THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE

SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
MTS 101 INTRODUCTORY MATHEMATICS I ASSIGNMENT
FIRST SEMESTER 2023/2024 ACADEMIC SESSION

INSTRUCTION: Answer all the questions. Time Allowed: Four Weeks (672 Hours)

To be submitted on or before 12:00noon on Monday 15th April, 2024.

1. Prove that 1 × 1! + 2 × 2! + 3 × 3! + . . . + n × n! = (n + 1)!–1 for all natural numbers using the

principles of mathematical induction.

2. Prove that 3 + 7 + . . . + (4n − 1) = n(2‘n + 1) for all natural numbers using the principles of
mathematical induction.

3. What is a number?

4. State and explain ten (10) properties of real numbers that you know.

5. Define the term the Principle of Mathematical Induction.

6. Highlight the steps involved in the Principle of Mathematical Induction.

7. Write a short note on each of the following types of numbers: (a) Natural/Counting Numbers;
(b) Integers; (c) Rational Numbers; (d) Irratioanal Numbers; (e) Real Numbers; (f) Complex
Numbers; (g) Even Numbers; (h) Odd Numbers; (i) Prime Numbers (j) Complex Numbers.

8. With the aid of a well labelled Venn diagram, explain the relationship that exists among all
the types of numbers in 8(a)-(j) above.

9. Mr. Iwe and Mr. Olodo had a hot argument on whether or not 32n−1 is divisible by 8 for all
positive integers. Mr. Iwe is of the opinion that since 32n−1 is divisible by 8 when n = 1, then it
is divisible by 8 for all positive integers whereas Mr. Olodo believes that f (k + 1) = 8(9M + 1)
is the sufficient condition that guarantees that 32n−1 is divisible by 8 for all positive integers
M.

(a) Which of these two MTS 101 Students do you agree with?
(b) Justify your answer.

10. xn − y n is divisible by x − y, where x, y are integers with x ̸= y.

11. Prove that 4n − 1 is a multiple of 3 for all values of n using the principle of Mathematical
Induction.

12. Dr. Afolabi’s Student’s, Iwe Ologbon was asked to prove that n4 + 4n2 + 11 is a multiple of 16
for all positive integers. What is the nth term of the possible values of n?

13. An SS3 student of the The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Staff P
School, James Biola,
i=n n+1
was asked to use the principle of mathematical induction to prove that i=0 = 1−x
5−x
. For
what values of x can she prove this?

14. At the National Mathematics Olympiad for potential Mathematicians in Nigeria held at the
National Mathematical Centre, Abuja in 2019, some students were asked to prove the validity
of some mathematical propositions using the principle of mathematical induction. If Even
means even numbers and Odd means odd numbers, explain in details, how the students will
go about this.

1
15. Prove that a4 − 1 is divisible by 16 for all odd integers a.

16. Prove that 10n − 1 is a multiple of 9 for all positive integers.

17. Prove 3n > 2n for all natural numbers n.

18. Prove that n! > 3n for n ≥ 7.

19. Prove using mathematical induction that for all n ≥ 1,

n(3n − 1)
1 + 4 + 7 + ... + (3n − 2) =
2
.

20. Prove that n3 + 2n is a multiple of 3 for all values of n using the principle of Mathematical
Induction.

21. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that 3n > n2 .

22. Prove that (xy)n = xn y n for all values of n using the principle of Mathematical Induction.
n
23. Prove that a2 − 1 is divisible by 4 × 2n for all odd integers a, and for all integers n.

24. Prove that 1 + 2 + 22 + 23 + . . . + 2n−1 = 2n − 1 for all natural numbers using the principles of
mathematical induction.
1 2n −1
25. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that 2
+ 14 + 18 + ... + 1
2n
= 2n
.

26. Prove that for any natural number n ≥ 2,

1 1 1
+ + + <1
22 32 n2

27. Prove that n4 + 4n2 + 11 is a multiple of 16 for all odd positive integers.
1
28. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that 4×12 −1
+ 4×212 −1 + ... + 4×n12 −1 = n
2n+1
.

29. Prove by Mathematical Induction that 1 × 20 + 2 × 21 + 3 × 22 + ... + n × 2n−1 = 1 + (n − 1)2n .

1 sin θ2 (2n−1)
30. Prove by Mathematical Induction that 2
+ cosθ + ... + cos(n − 1)θ = 2sin θ2
.

31. Prove that 4n2 − 1 is divisible by 5 for all positive integers n.

sin 12 (n+1)θsin 12 nθ
32. Use Mathematical Induction to show that sinq + sin2q + sin3q + ... + sinnq = sin 12 θ
.

33. Verify that for all n ≥ 1, the sum of the squares of the first 2n positive integers is given by the
formula
n(2n + 1)(4n + 1)
12 + 22 + 32 + + (2n)2 =
3
34. Prove by Mathematical Induction that 12 + 22 + 32 + ... + n2 = n6 (n + 1)(2n + 1).

35. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to prove that for positive integers
√
a1 , a2 , ...′ an , a1 +a2n+...an ≥ n a1 , a2 , ...an .

36. Show that 34n+2 + 2.43n+1 is exactly divisible by 17 if n is a positive integer.

37. Prove that 6n + 10n + 6 is a multiple of 5 for all values of n using the principle of Mathematical
Induction.

2
 1 1 1 1 n
38. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that 1.2
+ 2.3
+ 3.4
+ ... + n(n+1)
= n+1
.

39. Prove that 61n − 1 is a multiple of 60 for all values of n using the principle of Mathematical
Induction.

40. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that the arithmetic mean (AM) is always
greater than or equal to the geometric mean (GM).

41. If xn − 1 is divisible by x − k, then the least positive integral value of k is?

42. Use the Principle of Mathematical Induction to prove that 5n + 2 × 11n is a multiple of 3 for
all positive integer n.

43. Use the Principle of Mathematical Induction to prove that 2n > n.

44. Find the first positive integer n that causes the statement n2 − 3n < 100 to fail using the
principle of Mathematical Induction.

45. Prove that for all positive integer values of n, 52n + 3n − 1 is an integer multiple of 9.

46. Prove that n(n+1)(n+2) is an integer multiple of 6.

47. Show that 18n − 1 is exactly divisible by 17 if n is a positive integer.

1 1 1 1 n
48. Prove by the Principle of Induction 1.3
+ 3.5
+ 5.7
+ ... + (2n+1)(2n−1)
= 2n+1
.

49. Prove or disprove that n2 + 21n + 1 is a prime number for all positive values of n.

50. Prove that for any positive integer n > 7 can be written as the sum of three or fewer squares
of positive integers.
Pn 1
51. r=1 r(r − 3) = 4 n(n − 4)(n + 1) for all positive integers n.

52. Prove that, if sin x ̸= 0 and n is a natural number then

sin2n x
cosx × cos2x . . . cos2n−1 x =
2n sinx
if sin x ̸= 0.

53. Prove that every integer greater than 1 is a product of prime numbers.
1
54. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to show that x
+ x12 + x13 + ... + x1n = 1
x−1
1
− xn (x−1) .

55. Prove that n(n + 1)(n + 2)(n + 3)(n + 4)(n + 5) is a multiple of 720 for all positive integers.

56. As each of the students of MTS 101 arrives for an examination, each have a short discussion
with all the other students present. Use mathematical induction to show that if n students
come for the examination, then n(n−1)
2
discussions occur.

57. Prove that for any natural number n,

1 3 5 2n − 1 1
. . ... ≤√
2 4 6 2n 3n + 1

58. Given that 2n − 1 is a multiple of 1, 3n − 1 is a multiple of 2, 4n − 1 is a multiple of 3,..., use the

principle of mathematical induction to prove that k n − 1 is a multiple of (k − 1) for all positive
integers k and n.

3
 √ √
59. Prove that (3+ 5)n + (3 − 5)n is an even integer for all natural numbers n using the principle
of Mathematical Induction.

60. Find the first positive integer n that causes the statement 3n +4n > 5n to fail using the principle
of Mathematical Induction.

61. Use the principle of Mathematical Induction to prove that 2002n+2 + 20032n+1 is divisible by
4005.
n n2 (n+1)2
62. Prove by Mathematical Induction that Σr=1 r3 = 4
.

63. Prove that the sum of the cubes of any three consecutive natural numbers is divisible by 9
using mathematical induction.

64. Prove that log xn = n log x for all natural numbers using the principles of mathematical induc-
tion.

65. Prove 7n − 2n is divisible by 5 without any remainder for all positive integers.

DR. A. S. AFOLABI,
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES,
THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE.