Prove the following statement for non-zero integers a, b, c, If a divides b and b divides c, then a

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  1. math_celebrity

    math_celebrity Administrator Staff Member

    Prove the following statement for non-zero integers a, b, c,

    If a divides b and b divides c, then a divides c.

    If an integer a divides an integer b, then we have:
    b = ax for some non-zero integer x

    If an integer b divides an integer c, then we have:
    c = by for some non-zero integer y

    Since b = ax, we substitute this into c = by for b:
    c = axy

    We can write this as:
    c = a(xy)
    • Since x and y are integers, then xy is also an integer.
    • Therefore, c is the product of some integer multiplied by a
    • This means a divides c
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2024

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