We all try to prove things to other people in our everyday lives. The most powerful proofs are found in mathematics where the concept of a proof is fundamental. In this class, we discuss proofs from all areas of mathematics, many of which are elegant and extremely well constructed. We will first go over a basic introduction to the idea of a mathematical proof. We will briefly cover geometrical proofs, but the main focus of the class will be on using precise statements and logic to prove theorems. We will discuss many different proofs throughout the class dealing with topics from prime numbers to infinite sets. The goal of this class is for the student to appreciate the elegance and creativity of mathematical proofs as well as to learn how to prove theorems on their own. This class assumes no prior knowledge, but does require an enthusiasm for problem solving.
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