'Deduce' - ?

What does 'deduce' mean? The context being, I've done the first two parts of a STEP question involving calculating an integral and showing some inequality, and suddenly I'm asked to 'deduce' an inequality that looks nothing like that from the previous part except that it has a ln in it, and suddenly a ∑(1/x^2) has popped up from nowhere.

Does the presence of the word 'deduce' mean that I should be able to spot something and finish it nicely in a couple of lines with not much more working?

Reply 1

Sculler

5

I think it's pretty much the same as:

'Prove by any way you wish that the following is true, and if you're lucky and do it the way we did it then it'll simplify down to having to prove what you've already proved above, at which point you can smile, say 'proved above', and write QED.'

Reply 2

JohnSPals

ljfrugn

What does 'deduce' mean? The context being, I've done the first two parts of a STEP question involving calculating an integral and showing some inequality, and suddenly I'm asked to 'deduce' an inequality that looks nothing like that from the previous part except that it has a ln in it, and suddenly a ∑(1/x^2) has popped up from nowhere.

Does the presence of the word 'deduce' mean that I should be able to spot something and finish it nicely in a couple of lines with not much more working?

Look it up in a dictionary!

But in the context of a maths exam, it means "look at the ***** you've just done and do some more ***** with it t get what this part of the question wants"

Reply 3

mikeyT

2

Depending on the situation: it can be use one of the results proved above and apply it to this particular case. Or there's one more line of proof/working to the final answer.

Reply 4

username22878

OP

2

Thanks a lot. This is what's most annoying about STEP; you want to know how to do something, but know that looking at the answer will mean you'll never figure it out yourself, and hence won't be able to in the exam either.

'Deduce' - ?

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