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What's this kind of proof called?
What's the name of the style of proof in which you: 1) make an assumption, 2) demonstrate that it leads to a contradiction, and 3) conclude that your initial assumption was false?
(The example I remember from Uspensky's text was proving that there exists no standard formula for solving 5th degree polynomial equations.)
6 Answers
- 1 decade ago
You can say this is reductio ad absurdum. But herein you need only finate ( 2/3 ) possibilities and eliminate one by one all expect one and thus prove that since other options are invalid only this last options is correct.
- ?Lv 71 decade ago
as said before
proof by contradiction, or, in Latin "reductio ad absurdum"
Actually, I use this method on most of my proofs.
- 1 decade ago
thats called proof by contradiction or contradiction simply..!!
=)