Difference between revisions of "An integer and its successor are co-prime"

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The idea that '''an integer and its successor are co-prime''' is important in [[Number theory|number theory]] and plays a role in Euclid's proof that [[There are infinitely many primes]]. The claim is that any integer n + 1 will be co-prime to n.
The idea that '''an integer and its successor are co-prime''' is important in [[Number theory|number theory]] and plays a role in Euclid's proof that [[There are infinitely many primes]]. The claim is that any integer n + 1 will be co-prime to n.


The claim can easily be proven by stating that if two integers n and n + 1 were not co-prime, then the difference between the two would have to be a multiple of whatever prime(s) they share, but that difference would also be equal to 1. Thus there would have to be some number greater than 1 that is equal to 1, which is impossible since 1 is the smallest positive integer.
The claim can easily be proven by stating that if two integers n and n + 1 were not co-prime, then the difference between the two would have to be a multiple of whatever prime(s) they share, but that difference would also be equal to 1. Thus there would have to be some number greater than 1 that is equal to 1, which is a contradiction.


{{Claim
{{Claim
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|Counterclaim=
|Counterclaim=
|DependentOn1=
|DependentOn1=
|Dependency of=There are infinitely many primes
|DependencyOf1=There are infinitely many primes
}}
}}
[[Category:Mathematics]]

Latest revision as of 20:59, 22 January 2022

The idea that an integer and its successor are co-prime is important in number theory and plays a role in Euclid's proof that There are infinitely many primes. The claim is that any integer n + 1 will be co-prime to n.

The claim can easily be proven by stating that if two integers n and n + 1 were not co-prime, then the difference between the two would have to be a multiple of whatever prime(s) they share, but that difference would also be equal to 1. Thus there would have to be some number greater than 1 that is equal to 1, which is a contradiction.

Claim
Statement of the claim An integer and its successor are co-prime
Level of certainty Proven
Nature Theoretical
Counterclaim
Dependent on


Dependency of

There are infinitely many primes