4 ⋅ 6 + 5 ⋅ 7 + 6 ⋅ 8 + ... + 4n( 4n + 2) = 4(4n+1)(8n+7)/6 is false because it isn't even true when n=1. 4 ⋅ 6 = 4(4*1+1)(8*1+7)/6 24 = 4(5)(15)/6 24 = 50 Also 4n(4n+2) is not even the correct formula for the nth term. The correct nth term formula of 4 ⋅ 6 + 5 ⋅ 7 + 6 ⋅ 8 + ... is (n+3)(n+5). So it's wrong all the way around. -------------- 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3n-2)² = n(6n²-3n-1)/2 That appears to be correct. If n=1 then 1² = 1(6∙1²-3∙1-1)/2 = 1(6-3-1)/2 = 1(2)/2 = 1 which shows that the proposition is true when n=1. Let us assume that n=k is some integer (perhaps 1) such that 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3k-2)² = k(6k²-3k-1)/2. We want to show that the expression n(6n²-3n-1)/2 with k+1 substituted for n also holds for the sum of the first k+1 terms. That is, we want to be able to erase the question mark here: 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+[3(k+1)-2]² ≟ (k+1)[6(k+1)²-3(k+1)-1]/2 or upon multiplying out the right side (you do that) 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+[3(k+1)-2]² ≟ 3k³+15k²/2+11k/2+1 We start with our assumption: 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3k-2)² = k(6k²-3k-1)/2. or 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3k-2)² = 3k³-3k²/2-k/2 and add [3(k+1)-2]² to both sides: 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3k-2)²+[3(k+1)-2]² = k(6k²-3k-1)/2 + [3(k+1)-2]² Multiplying the right side all the way out, (you do that) we get 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+(3k-2)²+[3(k+1)-2]² = 3k³+(15/2)k²+(11/2)k+1 and that is the same right side as the right side of above when we had the equal sign with the question mark above it. 1²+4²+7²+∙∙∙+[3(k+1)-2]² ≟ 3k³+(15/2)k²+(11/2)k+1 Edwin