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posted by  Wild Turkey 7 on 11/4/2009 9:11:30 PM  |  status: Closed  |  Earned Karma: 56

Proof

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Prove: If a and b are rational numbers such that a<b, then there is a rational number c such that a<c<b.
HINT:
Proof from problem below.
Prove: If a and b are real numbers such that a<b, then a<(a+b)/2 and (a+b)/2<b.
Proof
   Suppose that a and b are frequently but arbitrarily chosen real numbers such that a<b. Show that        a<(a+b)/2 and (a+b)/2<b. So there exists a real positive number k such that b=a+k. Thus (a+b)/2=(a+a+k)/2=(2a+k)/2=a+k/2, which is greater than a. Since b=a+k, then a+k/2 is less than b.
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posted by A-ManESL on 11/5/2009 12:30:16 AM  |  status: Live
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Response Details:
Clearly (a+b)/2 is a rational number as sums and quotients of rationals are rationals. By the previous proof a <(a+b)/2<b. Now just choose c to be (a+b)/2 so that c is the requisite rational number satisfying a<c<b.
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posted by Wild Turkey 7 on 11/5/2009 11:39:12 AM  |  status: Live
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Can you go a little more in depth about the proof? Such as a=p/q , which is a rational number and so forth.
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posted by A-ManESL on 11/5/2009 11:59:30 AM  |  status: Live
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Response Details:
Let, a=p/q, b= s/t be two rational numbers. Now c = (a + b)/2 = (pt + qs)/2qt is also a rational number. Moreover by the previously established result a < c < b.
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