I have never really been any good at maths, and this introductory calculus class is killing me. I'm trying to solve this problem:
I get that it's true from substituting random values into it, but have no idea how to show it's true for all values of a≥1. I am thinking it has something to do with 3! being equal to 3x2x1 which are the same values in the parentheses? Is that on the right track at all?
I'm going to work toddhunter's suggestion, just for the enjoyment of a little coffee and induction.
Proof by induction:
base step:
n = 1, n^3 + 6n^2 +11n + 6 = 1 + 6 + 11 + 6, 24/6 = 4
n = 2, 8 + 24 + 22 + 6 = 60, 60/6 = 10
inductive step:
assume: (n^3 + 6n^2 +11n + 6)/6 is a Natural Number.
step (n+1): (n+1)^3 + 6(n+1)^2 + 11(n+1) + 6 = ...
..= (n^3 + 3n^2 + 3n + 1) + (6n^2 +12n +6) + (11n +11) + 6
reduces to: n^3 + 9n^2 + 26n + 24
Getting nth step out of (n+1)th step:
n^3 + 6n^2 + 3n^2 + 11n + 15n + 6 + 18 = ...
...= (n^3 + 6n^2 + 11n + 6) + (3n^2 + 15n + 18),
3n^2 + 15n + 18 = 3( n+2 )( n+3 ),
3(n+2)(n+3)/6 = (n+2)(n+3)/2
If (n+2)(n+3) is even then the inductive step holds.
(n+2)(n+3) = n^2 + 5n + 6,
if n=even, then: even^2 + even + even = even,
if n=odd, then: odd^2 + odd + even = odd + odd + even,
odd + odd = even, and thus the inductive step holds.
Therefore, the given polynomial is divisible by 6 for all Natural Numbers.
It might be easier not expanding the given.