\section{Proofs by Induction} \definition{} The last proof technique we'll discuss in this handout is \textit{induction.} \par This is particularly useful when we have a \say{countable} variable, usually an integer. \par \vspace{2mm} A proof by induction consists of two parts: a \textit{base case} and a \textit{inductive step}. \par \vfill Note that although induction is a powerful proof technique, it usually leads to uninteresting results. \par If we prove a statement using induction, we conclude that it is true---but we get very little insight on \textit{why} that is. \vspace{2mm} Alternative proofs are take a bit more work than inductive proofs, but they are much more valuable. \par For example, consider the following proof of X: \makeatletter \@makeORMCbox{tmpbox}{Alternative Proof}{ogrape!10!white}{ogrape} \makeatother \begin{tmpbox} sdfasdf \end{tmpbox} \pagebreak