TERMIUM Plus®

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INDIRECT PROOF [2 records]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 2001-04-04

English

Subject field(s)
  • Mathematics
  • Penal Law
  • Proverbs and Maxims
OBS

demonstration "to the point of absurdity".

Key term(s)
  • reductio ad absurdum

French

Domaine(s)
  • Mathématiques
  • Droit pénal
  • Proverbes et dictons
Key term(s)
  • ad absurdum
  • reductio ad absurdum
  • reductio ad impossibile

Spanish

Save record 1

Record 2 1998-06-23

English

Subject field(s)
  • Logic (Philosophy)
CONT

The general principle is that any assumption that leads you to a contradiction must be false. Thus, if you can deduce a contradiction (using valid rules of inference) from a certain assumption, it is legitimate to conclude that the assumption is false. Indirect proof is an extremely useful method, both in logic and in the real world. In real world arguments, if you can start from your opponent's premises and derive a contradiction from them (which is frequently possible), it is a very powerful refutation of the opponent's position. It is because of the usefulness of IP (indirect proof) that I have decided to introduce it right away.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Logique (Philosophie)
CONT

Toute proposition est vraie ou fausse (principe du tiers exclu) et 2° la double négation d'une assertion correspond à sa vérité. La combinaison de ces deux corollaires recèle un mode d'inférence, la méthode de preuve indirecte, qui permet de démontrer des théorèmes d'existence mathématiques sur la simple base de leur non-contradiction.

Spanish

Save record 2

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