Numerical evidence
- Category
- STANDARD MATHEMATICS
- Definition
- Evidence obtained by computing examples, values or finite regions rather than proving a universal statement.
- Math Level
- GENERAL
Numerical evidence is information obtained by computing examples, values or finite regions rather than by proving a universal mathematical statement.
Strong numerical evidence can reveal patterns, falsify proposed routes and make a conjecture highly plausible. It does not become proof merely because the computation is large or precise; its force depends on what was computed and how reliably.
See also: proof, numerical precision, interval arithmetic, counterexample, universal statement.