Vocab question - is there a standard word for a "provable postulate"?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter HJ Farnsworth
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Standard
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the search for a standard mathematical term that describes a "provable postulate" used for convenience, despite being derivable from established postulates or assumptions. Participants suggest terms like "Assumption" and "Premise," but none are universally accepted. The consensus leans towards simply labeling such statements as theorems, indicating that their proofs are outside the scope of the current work. This reflects a common practice in mathematical literature where brevity is prioritized over exhaustive proof.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of mathematical terminology such as postulate, axiom, and theorem.
  • Familiarity with the structure of mathematical proofs and their classifications.
  • Knowledge of the conventions used in mathematical literature and textbooks.
  • Basic comprehension of logical reasoning and assumptions in mathematics.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the differences between axioms, postulates, and theorems in mathematical logic.
  • Explore how assumptions are utilized in mathematical proofs and their implications.
  • Investigate the conventions of mathematical writing, particularly in academic publications.
  • Learn about the role of brevity in mathematical communication and its impact on understanding.
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, educators, students, and anyone involved in mathematical writing or research who seeks clarity in the terminology used for foundational concepts.

HJ Farnsworth
Messages
126
Reaction score
1
Hello,

Is there a common word in the standard math vocab list (postulate, axiom, lemma, corollary, proposition, theorem, definition, claim, remark, etc.) for something that will be treated as a postulate for convenience, even though it is known to be provable from previous postulates and assumptions or simply from common math?

The closest things that I can think of are "Assumption" and "Premise", but neither of these seem quite right.

I think that the answer to my question is probably simply, "no, there is not, if you want to just use your own word". But this seems weird to me, as it is something that I run into in textbooks and literature very frequently (i.e., stuff like "The XXX theorem can be shown to follow from unitarity of the blah operator and countability of the blah domain. However, the proof is rather involved, and for the sake of brevity we simply take it as a postulate. The interested reader is referred to [references].") It just seems like there would be a standard word for people to write something more like, "Postulate-like-Thing 1. XXX(footnote for references if desired)."

Thanks for any help that you can give.

-HJ Farnsworth
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Just say it is a theorem and say that the proof is beyond the scope of the work.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • Poll Poll
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
8K
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
  • · Replies 140 ·
5
Replies
140
Views
13K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
3K