- #1
Mr Davis 97
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Homework Statement
If ##r_1, r_2, r_3## are distinct real numbers, show that ##e^{r_1t}, e^{r_2t}, e^{r_3t}## are linearly independent.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
By book starts off by assuming that the functions are linearly dependent, towards contradiction. So ##c_1e^{r_1t} + c_2e^{r_2t}+ c_2e^{r_3t} = 0##. After differentiating and doing some manipulations, the book finds that ##e^{(r_1 - r_2)t} = C e^{(r_3 - r_2)t}##, where C is just some constant. It then states that this is a contradiction, so the original statement must be true. I am, however, a little confused as to why this is a contradiction. Is it a contradiction based on some previously shown result that two exponential functions with different powers can never be linearly dependent?