Proof Jigsaws.

Learners find it hard to construct proofs

This is an intermediate stage, they sequence them.
The numbers down the side give the marking code for ease of marking. (Note before cutting up !
Try!
"utting two simi#ar proofs together for sorting into two.
$aving a round robin session % & mins then move on.
gdw
Are they always wrong?
3
When adding fractions many students make the mistake of just
adding the tops (numerators) and adding the bottoms
(denominators). Can this ever be correct?
6
E.g.
' ' (
( ) *
+ =
his is c!ear!y "rong# the ans"er is $.
%
&et the fractions be
'
a
and
'
b
"here a'( and b'(
hen "e re)uire
' ' (
a b a b
+ =
+
*
his rearranges to
( a b
ab a b
+
=
+
+
herefore
( )
(
( (
(
( (
a b ab
a ab b ab
+ =
+ + =
,
-o
( (
a b =
-ince a
.
is positive and b
.
is positive# this imp!ies that a positive
e)ua!s a negative/ 0t "ou!d on!y "ork if a1( and b1(# but you can2t
have fractions "ith a denominator1(.
3
4esu!t is proven
' ' (
a b a b
+
+
gdw
Always Even
*
E5p!ain "hy n(n67) is a!"ays even.
3
E.g. &et n 1 7.
7 5 . 1 . "hich is even.
.
0f n is odd then n67 is even.
8dd 5 even 1 even
.
0f n is even then n67 is odd.
Even 5 odd 1 even
7
herefore n(n67) is a!"ays even
%
4esu!t is proven.
gdw
9T+1 is Triangle
,
0f represents any triang!e number then ,67 is another triang!e
number.
3
riang!e numbers are9
( '
', +, *,',,........, ,...
(
n n +

.
E.g. 13# , 5 3 6 7 1 .3#
7# 3# 6# 7(# 7+# .7# .3#: -o .3 is a triang!e number.
%
&et the triang!e number be
( '
(
n n +
- ( '
- ' '
(
n n
T
+
+ = +
+
(
- - ( (+ '(+ (
( (
n n n n + + + +
= =
6
his is a triang!e number# e.g. !et ;13n67
(+ '(+ ( ( '
( (
n n N N + + +
=
3 4esu!t is proven
gdw
8T+1 is Square
3
0f represents any triang!e number then 367 is a s)uare number.
6
riang!e numbers are9
( '
', +, *,',,........, ,...
(
n n +

7
E.g. 13#
3 5 3 6 7 1 .+# "hich is a s)uare number# +
.
.
+
&et the triang!e number be
( '
(
n n +
. ( '
. ' '
(
n n
T
+
+ = +
3
(
) ( ' '
) ) '
n n
n n
= + +
= + +
*
(
(( '(( '
(( '
n n
n
= + +
= +
,
Which is the s)uare of .n67
4esu!t is proven
gdw
3 Consecutive
3
-ho" that the sum of any three consecutive integers
is a!"ays divisib!e by 3?
,
E.g. &et the numbers be 7# . and 3.
7 6 . 6 3 1 6# 6 is divisib!e by 3.
3
&et the number be n# n67 and n6..
hen n 6 n67 6 n6. 1 3n 6 3
.
-ince 3n 6 3 1 3(n 6 7) the sum is divisib!e by 3
7
4esu!t is proven.
gdw
Sum of Squares
7
<rove that the sum of the s)uares of t"o consecutive
integers is an odd number.
3
E.g. &et the numbers be . and 3.
( (
( + ) - '+ + = + = "hich is odd.
+
&et the numbers be n and n67
( ( ( (
( ' ( ' n n n n n + + = + + +
(
(
(
( ( '
(( '
n n
n n
= + +
= + +
6
-ince
(
(( n n +
is even#
(
(( ' n n + +
must be odd
,
4esu!t is proven.
gdw
!ythagoras
3
<rove that for any integer n=.# .n# n
.
>7 and n
.
67 form three
numbers that obey <ythagoras2 theorem
*
E.g. &et n1.. he sides "i!! be *# 3 and +.
<ythagoras 3
.
6 *
.
1 +
.
.+ 1.+ "hich is true
%
( ( (
( ) (
(( ( '
) ( '
LHS n n
n n n
+
= + +
7
) (
(
( '
( '
n n
n
= + +
= +
+
4esu!t is proven
gdw
"## "##
,
<rove that an odd number mu!tip!ied by another odd
number is a!"ays odd?
.
E.g. 3 5 + 1 .+# "hich is odd.
+
&et the first odd number be .m67 and the second be
.n67 "here m and n are integers.
7
(.m67)(.n67) 1 *mn 6 .m 6 .n 6 7
1 .(.mn6m6n) 6 7
3
-ince .(.mn6m6n) is even#
.(.mn6m6n) 6 7 is odd
3
4esu!t is proven.
gdw
$#entity
+
<rove that for n=7
( (
(+ '( + & (( + ( ' n n n n + + + + +
3
E.g. n1.
( (
(/(& & (/ (+ +
.
3+ 6+ 1 *, ? ,
*( 1 *( "hich is true.
*
( (
( (
(( + ( '
) '( - ( '
RHS n n
n n n n
+ +
= + +
%
(
(
+ ', .
+ ', + &
n n
n n
= + +
= + + +
7
(+ '( + & n n
LHS
= + + +

3
4esu!t is proven
gdw
%ifference of Squares
3
<rove that
( (
( & ( + )( ) n n n + + +
6
E.g. &et n1.
( (
(( & (( + )(( ) + + +
%
*, ? .+ 1 .*
.+ 1 .+
*
( (
( (
( & ( +
', (& * -
LHS n n
n n n n
+ +
= + +
+
) '*
)( )
n
n RHS
= +
= +
3
4esu!t is proven
gdw