(i)
7 > 5 ⟹ 7 − 5 > 0 ⟹ 2 + 3 + ( 7 − 5 ) > 0 ⟹ ∣ 2 + 3 − 5 + 7 ∣ = 2 + 3 − 5 + 7 > 0 \begin{aligned}
\sqrt{7} > \sqrt{5} & \implies \sqrt{7} - \sqrt{5} > 0 \\
& \implies \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3} + (\sqrt{7} - \sqrt{5}) > 0 \\
& \implies | \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3} - \sqrt{5} + \sqrt{7} | = \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3} - \sqrt{5} + \sqrt{7} > 0
\end{aligned} 7 > 5 ⟹ 7 − 5 > 0 ⟹ 2 + 3 + ( 7 − 5 ) > 0 ⟹ ∣ 2 + 3 − 5 + 7 ∣ = 2 + 3 − 5 + 7 > 0 NB. We us the proposition that the square root function is
strictly increasing.
(ii)
∣ a + b ∣ ≤ ∣ a ∣ + ∣ b ∣ ⟹ ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ≤ 0 Triangle inequality ⟹ ∣ a ∣ + ∣ b ∣ − ∣ a + b ∣ ≥ 0 ⟹ − ( ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ) ≥ 0 ⟹ ∣ ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ∣ = − ( ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ) ≥ 0 \begin{aligned}
|a + b| \leq |a| + |b| & \implies |a + b| - |a| - |b| \leq 0 && \text{Triangle inequality} \\
& \implies |a| + |b| - |a + b| \geq 0 \\
& \implies -(|a + b| - |a| - |b|) \geq 0 \\
& \implies ||a + b| - |a| - |b|| = -(|a + b| - |a| - |b|) \geq 0
\end{aligned} ∣ a + b ∣ ≤ ∣ a ∣ + ∣ b ∣ ⟹ ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ≤ 0 ⟹ ∣ a ∣ + ∣ b ∣ − ∣ a + b ∣ ≥ 0 ⟹ − ( ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ) ≥ 0 ⟹ ∣∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣∣ = − ( ∣ a + b ∣ − ∣ a ∣ − ∣ b ∣ ) ≥ 0 Triangle inequality (iii) For this exercise, one might be tempted to treat multiple cases
for the variables, and try to prove that a certain pair/pairs of
absolute values can be removed.
There is an easier way, however . What happens when we
substitute our sum a + b a + b a + b with an arbitrary variable. In other
words, let d = a + b d = a + b d = a + b . Then,
∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣ ⟹ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ d + c ∣ ⟹ ∣ d + c ∣ ≤ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ ⟹ 0 ≤ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ d + c ∣ ⟹ ∣ ∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣ ∣ = ∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣ ≥ 0 \begin{aligned}
|a + b| + |c| - |a + b + c| & \implies |d| + |c| - |d + c| \\
& \implies |d + c| \leq |d| + |c| \\
& \implies 0 \leq |d| + |c| - |d + c| \\
& \implies ||a + b| + |c| - |a + b + c|| = |a + b| + |c| - |a + b + c| \geq 0
\end{aligned} ∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣ ⟹ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ d + c ∣ ⟹ ∣ d + c ∣ ≤ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ ⟹ 0 ≤ ∣ d ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ d + c ∣ ⟹ ∣∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣∣ = ∣ a + b ∣ + ∣ c ∣ − ∣ a + b + c ∣ ≥ 0 (iv)
∣ ( x − y ) 2 ∣ = ( x − y ) 2 = x 2 − 2 x y + y 2 Perfect square \begin{aligned}
|{ (x - y) }^{2}| = { (x - y) }^{2} = x^{2} - 2xy + y^{2} && \text{Perfect square}
\end{aligned} ∣ ( x − y ) 2 ∣ = ( x − y ) 2 = x 2 − 2 x y + y 2 Perfect square (v)
∣ ( 2 + 3 − ( − ( 5 − 7 ) ) ) ∣ \begin{aligned}
|( \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3} - (-(\sqrt{5} - \sqrt{7})) )|
\end{aligned} ∣ ( 2 + 3 − ( − ( 5 − 7 ))) ∣