Sum of Odd Positive Powers
Theorem
Let $n \in \N$ be an odd positive integer.
Let $x, y \in \Z_{>0}$ be (strictly) positive integers.
Then $x + y$ is a divisor of $x^n + y^n$.
Proof
Given that $n \in \N$ be odd, it can be expressed in the form:
- $n = 2 m + 1$
where $m \in \N$.
The proof proceeds by strong induction.
For all $m \in \N$, let $\map P m$ be the proposition:
- $x^{2 m + 1} + y^{2 m + 1} = \paren {x + y} \paren {x^{2 m} + \cdots + y^{2 m} }$
$\map P 0$ is the case:
- $x + y = x + y$
which is trivially an identity.
Basis for the Induction
$\map P 1$ is the case:
- $x^3 + y^3 = \paren {x + y} \paren {x^2 - x y + y^2}$
which follows by Sum of Two Cubes.
This is the basis for the induction.
Induction Hypothesis
Now it needs to be shown that, if $\map P k$ is true, where $k \ge 2$, then it logically follows that $\map P {k + 1}$ is true.
So this is the induction hypothesis:
- $\exists k \in \N: \forall j: 1 \le j \le k: x^{2 j + 1} + y^{2 j + 1} = \paren {x + y} \map {P_{2 j} } {x, y}$
where $\map {P_{2 j} } {x, y}$ is a polynomial of degree $2 j$ in $x$ and $y$.
from which it is to be shown that:
- $x^{2 k + 3} + y^{2 k + 3} = \paren {x + y} \map {P_{2 k + 2} } {x, y}$
where $\map {P_{2 k + 2} } {x, y}$ is a polynomial of degree $2 k + 2$ in $x$ and $y$.
Induction Step
This is the induction step:
We have that:
- $\paren {x^{2 k + 1} + y^{2 k + 1} } \paren {x^2 + y^2} = x^{2 k + 3} + y^{2 k + 3} + x^2 y^{2 k + 1} + x^{2 k + 1} y^2$
So:
\(\ds x^{2 k + 3} + y^{2 k + 3}\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \paren {x + y} \paren {x^2 + y^2} \map {P_{2 k} } {x, y} - x^2 y^{2 k + 1} - x^{2 k + 1} y^2\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \paren {x + y} \paren {x^2 + y^2} \map {P_{2 k} } {x, y} - x^2 y^2 \paren {x^{2 k - 1} + y^{2 k - 1} }\) |
But $\paren {x^{2 k - 1} + y^{2 k - 1} }$ itself is of the form:
- $\paren {x + y} \map {P_{2 k - 2} } {x, y}$
So:
- $x^{2 k + 3} + y^{2 k + 3} = \paren {x + y} \paren {\paren {x^2 + y^2} \map {P_{2 k} } {x, y} - x^2 y^2 \map {P_{2 k - 2} } {x, y} }$
Hence the result by the Second Principle of Mathematical Induction.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 1971: George E. Andrews: Number Theory ... (previous) ... (next): $\text {1-1}$ Principle of Mathematical Induction: Exercise $18$