The square root of 2 is irrational

https://arbital.com/p/sqrt_2_is_irrational

by Dylan Hendrickson Jul 5 2016 updated Jul 6 2016

The number whose square is 2 can't be written is a quotient of natural numbers


2, the unique [-positive] Real number whose square is 2, is not a Rational number.

Proof

Suppose 2 is rational. Then 2=ab for some integers a and b; [-without_loss_of_generality] let ab be in [-lowest_terms], i.e. gcd. We have

From the definition of ,

So is a multiple of . Since is prime, must be a multiple of 2; let . Then

So is a multiple of , and so is . But then , which contradicts the assumption that is in lowest terms! So there isn't any way to express as a fraction in lowest terms, and thus there isn't a way to express as a ratio of integers at all. That is, is irrational.