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Q&A How can you analogize mathematical induction to dominoes falling, if some domino can fail to topple? [closed]

1 answer · posted 3y ago by Chgg Clou‭ · closed 3y ago by Peter Taylor‭

Question induction

#2: Question closed by $user avatar$ Peter Taylor‭ · 2022-01-05T10:00:41Z (almost 3 years ago)

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#1: Initial revision by $user avatar$ Chgg Clou‭ · 2021-12-21T00:33:33Z (about 3 years ago)

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How can you analogize mathematical induction to dominoes falling, if some domino can fail to topple?

This analogy doesn't convince me, because what if some domino (after b, the base case) fails to topple? In real life, a domino can remain standing upright if it got placed too far apart from the previous domino — or if the previous domino didn't hit this steadfast domino with sufficient force (to topple this steady domino).

![Image alt text](https://math.codidact.com/uploads/UtTikHsXDRgsNTTBMoSztToN)

David Gunderson, *Handbook of Mathematical Induction* (2010), pp 4-5.

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