I have a need to modify Erdős' proof of the Sylvester-Schur Theorem to prove something stronger. See my working document at <http://math.rudytoody.us/> or <http://math.rudytoody.us/OppermannTheorem.pdf>


If I have to modify most of the proof, I will use the entire proof (with proper attribution, of course.) However, I don't believe I will need to do that. So, how much should I show of the original? Could I do a line-by-line comparison of the changes? If I only change a few variables, could I do something along the lines of, "By changing variables a, b, c and relaxing condition x, it's easy to see that Erdős' proof arrives at the same conclusion without breaking the original."


Some suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.



What is the protocol for making modifications to someone else's proof to prove something slightly stronger?
I'm following Todd Trimble's suggestion and writing my comment as an answer:


I suggest you write your own proof completely, then mention that your proof is a modification of the proof of Erdős, then cite his paper.


