proof Archives — Flying Colours Maths

A proof without words

Nov23 Posted in geometry, proof.

Via nRICH: A circle touches the lines OA extended, OB extended and AB where OA and OB are perpendicular. Show that the diameter of the circle is equal to the perimeter of the triangle. $\blacksquare$

A question that comes up a lot in class is, “how do you get good at proofs?” (It’s usually framed as “I don’t like proofs”, but we’re not having any of that negativity here, thank you very much.) I don’t have a silver bullet for that. I do have some

A strange number base

May27 Posted in proof.

Aaaages ago, @vingaints tweeted: This is pretty wild. It feels like what the Basis Representation Theorem is for Integers but for Rational Numbers. Hmm - trying to prove it now. Feels like a tough one. Need to work some examples! https://t.co/tgcy8iaXHa pic.twitter.com/tgcy8iaXHa — Ving Aints (@vingAints) September 18, 2018 In

Ask Uncle Colin: A Trigonometric Proof

Aug15 Posted in ask uncle colin, proof, trigonometry.

Dear Uncle Colin, I have a trig identity I can't prove! I have to show that $\frac{\cos(x)}{1-\sin(x)} = \tan(x) + \sec(x)$. Strangely Excited Comment About Non-Euclidean Trigonometry. Hi, SECANT, and thanks for your message! This is a slightly sneaky one, but definitely a good one to practice. Let's do it

Several Strings of 1s

Oct23 Posted in number theory, proof, there's more than one way to do it.

This puzzle was in February's MathsJam Shout, contributed by the Antwerp MathsJam. Visit mathsjam.com to find your nearest event! Consider the set ${1, 11, 111, ...}$ with 2017 elements. Show that at least one of the elements is a multiple of 2017. The Shout describes this one as tough; you

Ask Uncle Colin: A Cosec Proof

Oct18 Posted in ask uncle colin, proof, trigonometry.

Dear Uncle Colin I'm stuck on a trigonometry proof: I need to show that $\cosec(x) - \sin(x) \ge 0$ for $0 < x < \pi$. How would you go about it? - Coming Out Short of Expected Conclusion Hi, COSEC, and thank you for your message! As is so often

How Would Martin Gardner Prove It?

May29 Posted in proof.

Someone recently asked me where I get enough ideas for blog posts that I can keep up such a 'prolific' schedule. (Two posts a week? Prolific? If you say so.) The answer is straightforward: Twitter Reddit One reliable source of interesting stuff is @WWMGT - What Would Martin Gardner Tweet?

A Digital Root Puzzle

Mar13 Posted in arithmetic, prime numbers, proof.

Every so often, a puzzle comes along and is just right for its time. Not so hard that you waste hours on it, but not so easy that it pops out straight away. I heard this from Simon at Big MathsJam last year and thought it'd be a good one

From Euclid to Cantor

Feb27 Posted in prime numbers, proof.

One of my favourite quotes is from Stefan Banach: "A good mathematician sees analogies between theorems. A great mathematician sees analogies between analogies." This post is clearly in the former camp. I'm fairly sure it's a trivial thing, but it's not something I'd noticed before. One of the first serious

Repdigit endings to squares

Aug1 Posted in proof.

Over at @onthisdayinmath, Pat highlights a @jamestanton question about squares: $2^2$ ends with 4 and $12^2$ ends with 44. Is there a square than ends 444? How about one that ends 4444? Pat's answer (yes to the first -- $38^2 = 1444$ is the smallest -- and probably not to

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