CSC165 Lecture Week 4

This week’s lecture has me extremely worried. We started on proofs, and we were given two examples in class. I understand the basic structure of proofs, but they still honestly look like magic to me.

Assume some condition
    Assume P(x)
       Then R(x)
       Then R2(x)
        …
        Then Rn(x)
        Then Q(x)
     Then P(x) implies Q(x)
Then P(x) implies Q(x) for some condition

This basic proof structure, for the most part, makes sense to me. I can see that we are simply just linking two statements together in a neat and organized manner. It's the actual proofs that really stump me. It's like having to learn trig identities all over again, only it's even worse this time. There were only so many trigonometric identities to choose from. Now I have to choose from what seems like every theorem to ever exist in mathematics. I just find it really difficult to jump from one thought to another.

I eventually did learn how to prove trig identities and now I'm actually pretty good at them. That came with pages and pages of practice, so I guess I'm just going to have to practice, practice, practice.