Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Such evidence is expected to be empirical evidence and interpretable in accordance with the scientific method. Standards for scientific evidence vary according to the field of inquiry, but the strength of scientific evidence is generally based on the results of statistical analysis and the strength of scientific controls. [citation needed]
A proof is sufficient evidence or a sufficient argument for the truth of a proposition. [1] [2] [3] [4]The concept applies in a variety of disciplines, [5] with both the nature of the evidence or justification and the criteria for sufficiency being area-dependent.
In proof by exhaustion, the conclusion is established by dividing it into a finite number of cases and proving each one separately. The number of cases sometimes can become very large. For example, the first proof of the four color theorem was a proof by exhaustion with 1,936 cases. This proof was controversial because the majority of the cases ...
The common metaphor for the strongest possible evidence in any case—the "smoking gun"—is an example of proof based on circumstantial evidence. [5] Similarly, fingerprint evidence, videotapes, sound recordings, photographs, and many other examples of physical evidence that support the drawing of an inference, i.e., circumstantial evidence ...
Evidence and rules are used to decide questions of fact that are disputed, some of which may be determined by the legal burden of proof relevant to the case. Evidence in certain cases (e.g. capital crimes) must be more compelling than in other situations (e.g. minor civil disputes), which drastically affects the quality and quantity of evidence ...
The first example argues that denial of the premise would result in a ridiculous conclusion, against the evidence of our senses (empirical evidence). [5] The second example is a mathematical proof by contradiction (also known as an indirect proof [6]), which argues that the denial of the premise would result in a logical contradiction (there is ...
The expectation of evidence makes its absence significant. [4] As the previous example shows, the difference between evidence that something is absent (e.g., an observation that suggests there were no dragons here today) and simple absence of evidence (e.g., no careful research has been done) can be nuanced.
A direct proof is the simplest form of proof there is. The word ‘proof’ comes from the Latin word probare, [3] which means “to test”. The earliest use of proofs was prominent in legal proceedings.