Further Maths - Induction for Series

Pearson Edexcel Further Mathematics 2022


Base case and substitutions into the series formula

What is

\[\sum^{1} _ {r = 1} r\]

?

\[1\]

What do you get if you substitute $k = 1$ for $\frac{1}{2}k(k+1)$?

\[1\]

Writing out and splitting off the last term

How could you write out the sum that is being done for

\[\sum^{k} _ {r = 1} r\]

?

\[1 + 2 + 3 + ... + (k - 1) + k\]

How could you write out the sum that is being done for

\[\sum^{k + 1} _ {r = 1} r\]

?

\[1 + 2 + 3 + ... + k + (k + 1)\]

How could you rewrite

\[\sum^{k + 1} _ {r = 1} r\]

?

\[( \sum^{k} _ {r=1} r ) + (k + 1)\]

Using the inductive hypothesis and factorising

How could you rewrite

\[( \sum^{k} _ {r=1} r ) + (k + 1)\]

using the series formula?

\[(\frac{1}{2}k(k+1)) + (k+1)\]

Factorise

\[(\frac{1}{2}k(k+1)) + (k+1)\]

?

\[\frac{1}{2}(k+1)(k+2)\]

Substitute $k = k + 1$ into

\[\frac{1}{2}k(k+1)\]

?

\[\frac{1}{2}(k+1)(k+2)\]

Simplify

\[k^2(k+1) + (k+1)(3k+2)\]

?

\[(k+1)(k^2 + 3k + 2)\]