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

  • Thread starter HJ Farnsworth
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Standard
In summary, the conversation discusses the lack of a common word in the standard math vocabulary for something that is treated as a postulate for convenience, even though it is known to be provable from previous postulates and assumptions. The closest words suggested are "assumption" and "premise," but neither seem quite right. The conversation also mentions encountering this situation frequently in textbooks and literature, with a suggestion to use "Postulate-like-Thing 1" and provide references for the proof. The conversation concludes with a suggestion to simply refer to it as a theorem and state that the proof is beyond the scope of the work.
  • #1
HJ Farnsworth
128
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
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Just say it is a theorem and say that the proof is beyond the scope of the work.
 

1. What is the standard word for a "provable postulate"?

The standard word for a "provable postulate" is "theorem".

2. How is a "provable postulate" different from a "hypothesis"?

A "provable postulate" is a statement that has been proven to be true, while a hypothesis is an educated guess that has yet to be proven or disproven.

3. Can you provide an example of a "provable postulate"?

An example of a "provable postulate" is the Pythagorean Theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

4. How are "provable postulates" used in scientific research?

"Provable postulates" are used as foundations for building theories and understanding scientific concepts. They provide a starting point for further research and experimentation.

5. Are "provable postulates" absolute truths?

No, "provable postulates" are based on current evidence and can be revised or disproven with new evidence or advancements in scientific understanding.

Similar threads

  • General Math
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
33
Views
5K
  • Linear and Abstract Algebra
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
34
Views
2K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
2
Replies
37
Views
1K
  • Classical Physics
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
647
  • General Discussion
Replies
12
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
32
Views
5K
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top