Wednesday, 23 April 2014

summation - why doesn't proof of sum of two rational number is rational not proving the irreducibility of fraction fracad+bcbd?



When I was comparing proof for 2 and sum of two rational numbers, I found that the proof of two rational number did not mention anything about common factor in the ratio.




one proof I found for sum of two rational numbers:




The sum of any two rational numbers is rational.



Proof.



Suppose r and s are rational numbers. [We must show that r + s is
rational.] Then, by the definition of rational numbers, we have




                                        r = a/b    for some integers a and b with b ≠ 0.

s = c/d for some integers c and d with d ≠ 0.


So, by substitution, we have



                                        r + s = a/b + c/d


= (ad + bc)/bd


Now, let p = ad + bc and q = bd. Then, p and q are integers [because
products and sums of integers are integers and because a, b, c and d
are all integers. Also, q ≠ 0 by zero product property.] Hence,



r + s = p/q , where p and q are integers and q ≠ 0.



Therefore, by definition of a rational number, (r + s) is rational.

This is what was to be shown.



And this completes the proof.




Unlike 2 proof which state that because both p and q for p/q is prove to be even, therefore contradicting the premises that it is a irreducible faction, The sum proof did not mention if ad+bcbd might have a common factor , hence make this proof incomplete. Why is that?


Answer



There is nothing incomplete in the proof. The proof shows the following statement:





If there exist such integers a,b that r=ab and there exist such integers c,d that s=cd, then there also exist such integers p,q that r+s=pq.




Remember that this is all you need. A number x is rational if and only if there exist some integers m,n so that x=mn.



The fact that there also exist two (almost) uniquely determined coprime integers m,n such that x=mn does not mean that every pair of integers that forms x is coprime, only that one such pair exists.



On the other hand, for x=2, the proof shows that no such pair exists.


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