[Math] If an integer $m$ is odd how can it be proven that its square would be odd

elementary-number-theory

I understand this is intuitively obvious. I am wondering if there is a axiom or principle or proof that shows this? It seems you may need something that says you can decompose an integer into it's lowest common factors and if a number is odd then each of it's lowest common factors will never be divisible by two which is the lowest possible even integer.

It seems like there may be something fundamental beside my intuition here in number theory maybe…and that I either forgot or never learned.

Best Answer

Let $n$ be an odd integer. Then, there exists an integer $k$ such that $n = 2k + 1$. Thus, $n^2 = (2k + 1)^2 = 4k^2 + 4k + 1 = 2(2k^2 + 2k) + 1$. Since there exists an integer $l$ such that $n^2 = 2l + 1$, namely, $l = 2k^2 + 2k$, $n^2$ is odd.

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