[Math] How to prove that there are infinitely many primes without using contradiction

alternative-proofprime numbers

How can I prove that there are infinitely many primes without using contradiction?

I know the proof that is (not) by Euclid saying there are infinitely many primes. It assumes that there is a finite set of primes and then obtains one that is not in that set.

Say for some reason I want to prove it without using contradiction. Maybe I'm contradictaphobic. How could I go about doing this?

Best Answer

Actually, that proof can be phrased in a way to avoid contradiction. Let ${\cal P}=\{p_1,...,p_n\}$ be a non empty finite set of primes. Then let $a=1+\prod_{p\in\cal P}p$.

By the usual argument there must be a prime $p\mid a$, $p\notin\cal P$. This proves that any finite set of primes cannot include all primes and so there must be infinitely many.

EDIT: Given the almost-infinite sequence of comments, let me spell out the "usual argument":

  • $\emptyset\neq\cal P$ is a finite set of primes;
  • $a=1+\prod_{p\in\cal P}p$;
  • then $a\equiv1\bmod p$ for all $p\in\cal P$ and $a\neq\pm1$;
  • but: for all $a\in\Bbb Z\setminus\{\pm1\}$ there exists a prime $q$ such that $a\equiv0\bmod q$
  • $1\not\equiv0\bmod q$
  • therefore $q\notin\cal P$;
  • therefore there's no finite set containing all primes.

QED