Reductio ad Absurdum

Assume A.

Deduce a contradiction.

This proves A is false.

Example:

Assume there is a greatest prime number, P.

But then P! is divisible by every prime number.

So P! + 1 is divisible by no prime number (other than 1),

So P! + 1 is prime.

So by the assumption, P! + 1 is not greater than P.

But P! + 1 is greater than P.

This is a contradiction.

So the assumption is false.


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Richard Lee, rlee@uark.edu, last modified: 16 January 2003