proof by contradiction

English

Noun

proof by contradiction (countable and uncountable, plural proofs by contradiction)

1. (mathematics, logic) Proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation.

Synonyms

• apagoge
• reductio ad absurdum

Translations

proof of a statement adduced by deriving a contradiction from the statement's negation

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 反證法／反证法 (zh) (fǎnzhèngfǎ), 背理法 (zh) (bèilǐfǎ)

• Czech: důkaz sporem (cs) m
• Dutch: bewijs uit het ongerijmde n
• Finnish: ristiriitatodistus
• French: preuve par l’absurde f, raisonnement par l’absurde m
• German: Widerspruchsbeweis (de) m
• Greek: εις άτοπον απαγωγή (el) f (eis átopon apagogí)
• Icelandic: óbein sönnun f
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: reductio ad absurdum
• Polish: dowód nie wprost m, sprowadzenie do absurdu
• Romanian: reducere la absurd (ro) f
• Russian: доказа́тельство от проти́вного (ru) n (dokazátelʹstvo ot protívnovo)
• Swedish: motsägelsebevis n

Further reading

• proof by contradiction on Wikipedia.Wikipedia