Dayo from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Horncastle proved the
result using modulus arithmetic. This is his solution but written so
that you do not need to know about modulus arithmetic to understand
the solution.
We must show that 3(3n+4)+7(2n+1) is a multiple of 11 for
all positive integer values of n.
Let
f(n)
= 3(3n+4)+7(2n+1)
= 27n×81 + 49n ×7
= (22 +5)n(77+4)+(44+5)n(11-4).
As all the terms except the term 5n of the binomial expansions
(22+5)n and (44+5)n involve multiples of 11, it follows that
for some integer k:
Hence, for any integer value of n,
f(n) (as stated above) is
divisible by eleven.
Good solutions using the axiom of mathematical induction were
submitted by JiaMin from St Clare's School Oxford, Simba from
Bury Grammar School, James from Aston Comprehensive School, Andrei
from Tudor Vianu National College, Bucharest, Romania and Ruth from
Manchester High School for Girls.
This is James's solution:
To prove P(n): 3(3n+4) + 7(2n+1) is a multiple of 11.
Consider P(1): 37 + 73 = 2530, which is a multiple of 11.
Therefore P(1) is true.
Assume P(k) is true. Therefore 3(3k+4) + 7(2k+1) is a
multiple of 11. Consider
P(k+1): 3(3(k+1)+4) + 7(2(k+1)+1)
= 3(3k+7) + 7(2k+3)
= 27(3(3k+4)) + 49(7(2k+1))
= 27(3(3k+4) + 7(2k+1)) + 22(7(2k+1))
.
As 3(3k+4) + 7(2k+1) is a multiple of 11 and 22 is a
multiple of 11 therefore 3(3(k+1)+4) + 7(2(k+1)+1) is a
multiple of 11, that is P(k+1) is true.
We have shown P(1) is
true and P(k) implies P(k+1) therefore, by the axiom of
mathematical induction, P(n) is true for all values of n.