<s>[INST] Prove by induction that $2^n + 4^n \leq 5^n$ I'm trying to prove by induction that $2^n + 4^n \leq 5^n$. Through some value plugging I've established that the induction must start from $n = 2$ because $2^2 + 4^2 \leq 5^2 \equiv 20 \leq 25$; for $n = 1$ it doesn't hold since $2 + 4 \geq 5$. 

Now I assume that $2^k + 4^k \leq 5^k$ is true and I want to prove that implies $k+1$. Using the inductive hypothesis I multiply both sides by $4$ to get this: 
$$4 \cdot 2^{k} + 4\cdot 4^{k} \leq 4 \cdot 5^{k}$$
$$2^{k+2} + 4^{k+1} \leq 4 \cdot 5^{k}$$
I will use again the induction hypothesis, this time I'll multiply both side by $5$ to get:
$$5 \cdot (2^{k} + 4^{k}) \leq 5^{k+1}$$
I can say that $2^{k+2} + 4^{k+1} \leq 5 \cdot (2^{k} + 4^{k})$ and $4 \cdot 5^{k} \leq 5^{k+1}$ so I concatenate them:
$$2^{k+2} + 4^{k+1} \leq 5 \cdot (2^{k} + 4^{k}) \leq 4 \cdot 5^{k} \leq 5^{k+1}$$

However this doesn't feel right. I'm assuming that $5 \cdot (2^{k} + 4^{k}) \leq 4 \cdot 5^{k}$ which there's no way I can be sure about. At this point I'm stuck since the whole reasoning seems wrong.
 [/INST] You already have established from the induction hypothesis that 
$$2^{k+2} + 4^{k+1} \leq 4 \cdot 5^{k}$$
So:
$$ 2^{k+1} + 4^{k+1} < 2^{k+2} + 4^{k+1} \leq 4\cdot5^k < 5 \cdot 5^k =5^{k+1}$$
Which already shows the required inequality for $k+1$.
It's simpler than you think...
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