Prove that for all natural number x and n, xn−1 is divisible by x−1.
So here's my thoughts:
it is true for n=1, then I want to prove that it is also true for n−1
then I use long division, I get:
xn−1=x(xn−1−1)+(x−1)
so the left side is divisible by x−1 by hypothesis, what about the right side?
Answer
So first you can't assume that the left hand side is divisible by x−1 but for the right hand side we have that x−1 divides x−1 and by the induction hypothesis we have that x−1 divides xn−1−1 so what can you conclude about the left hand side.
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