Indirect Proofs

Proof by contradiction

Proof by contradiction is a form of proof that establishes the truth or validity of a proposition by showing that assuming it to be false leads to a contradiction. It is used in mathematical proofs and more broadly as an argument that arrives at a contradiction when the initial assumption is not the negation of the statement to be proved. Existence proofs are a special case of this, demonstrating the existence of an object with a given property by deriving a contradiction from the assumption that all objects satisfy the negation of the property.

1 courses cover this concept

CS 103: Mathematical Foundations of Computing

Stanford University

Winter 2023

CS 103 introduces mathematical logic, proofs, and discrete structures, paving the way to an understanding of computational problem-solving. It encourages a profound appreciation of mathematical beauty while addressing concepts like finite automata and regular expressions. CS106B is a prerequisite or corequisite. The course also incorporates programming assignments.

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