counterexample
Sign in to saveA counterexample is a specific example that contradicts a claim, hypothesis, or generalization. In logic a counterexample disproves a universally stated claim, and does so rigorously in the fields of mathematics and philosophy. For example, the statement that "student John Smith is not lazy" is a counterexample to the generalization "students are lazy", and both a counterexample to, and disproof of, the universal quantification "all students are lazy."
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8 sectionsContents
- In mathematics
- Rectangle example
- Other mathematical examples
- In philosophy
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A counterexample is a specific example that contradicts a claim, hypothesis, or generalization. In logic a counterexample disproves a universally stated claim, and does so rigorously in the fields of mathematics and philosophy. For example, the statement that "student John Smith is not lazy" is a counterexample to the generalization "students are lazy", and both a counterexample to, and disproof of, the universal quantification "all students are lazy."
==In mathematics== In mathematics, counterexamples are often used to prove the boundaries of possible theorems. By using counterexamples to show that certain conjectures are false, mathematical researchers can then avoid going down blind alleys and learn to modify conjectures to produce provable theorems. It is sometimes said that mathematical development consists primarily in finding (and proving) theorems and counterexamples.