1
CPSC 121: Models of Computation 2018S
Proof Techniques (Part A) Meghan Allen based on notes by Steve Wolfman, Patrice Belleville and others
1
Midterm Review Session
- Wednesday, June 13 from 5‐6pm in ORCH
3074
– the TAs will stay until 6:30pm if there are still questions
2
Outline
- Learning Goals, Quiz Notes, and Big Picture
- Problems and Discussion: Generally Faster?
– Breaking Down Big Proofs – Witness Proofs, also known as Proofs of Existence – Without loss of generality (WLOG), also known as Generalizing from the Generic Particular – Antecedent Assumption – Proving Inequality (and equivalences/equality) – Breaking Down Big Proofs, Revisited
- Coming Soon: The Rest
3
Learning Goals: “Pre‐Class”
Be able for each proof strategy below to:
– Identify the form of statement the strategy can prove. – Sketch the structure of a proof that uses the strategy.
Strategies: constructive/non‐constructive proofs of existence ("witness"), disproof by counterexample, exhaustive proof, generalizing from the generic particular ("WLOG"), direct proof ("antecedent assumption"), proof by contradiction, and proof by cases.
4
Alternate names are listed for some techniques.