indirect proof
/ɪnˈdɪrɛkt ˈpruːf/ · in·di·rect proof
noun
- a method of proving a statement by showing that its negation leads to a contradiction The mathematician used an indirect proof to establish the theorem.
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Did you know? The technique of indirect proof, also called reductio ad absurdum, was first systematically used by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid in his Elements.