[Math] How to show the statement is false

logicpredicate-logicquantifiers

How to do you show the statement is false and prove its negation is true?
$$\forall n \in\mathbb Z^+ \exists a \in\mathbb Z^+ \text{ such that } a|n\text{ and }\frac na\text{ is odd}$$

Best Answer

The statement, as it reads, is true: $\forall n \in \mathbb{Z}^+, \exists a = n \in \mathbb{Z}^+$, such that $a\mid n$, and $\dfrac na = \dfrac nn = 1$ is odd.


IF it is also required that $a \neq n$, then one counterexample suffices to prove the statement is false: for $n = 4$, exists $a=1$ or $a = 2$ or $a = 4$ $\implies \dfrac {n}{a}$ is even. Since $3\not\mid 4,$ and no $a>4$ divides 4.

Hence, the statement, with this modification, is false. And you have thus proved that the negation of the statement is therefore true.

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