What makes a proof invalid?

Asked by: Dr. Dino Cassin DVM  |  Last update: May 14, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (70 votes)

A deductive argument is said to be valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false. Otherwise, a deductive argument is said to be invalid.

What makes something valid or invalid?

Valid: an argument is valid if and only if it is necessary that if all of the premises are true, then the conclusion is true; if all the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true; it is impossible that all the premises are true and the conclusion is false. Invalid: an argument that is not valid.

How to prove invalidity?

Of course, we could always fall back on truth-tables as a method of proving invalidity. We simply inspect the truth-table columns for all of the premises and the conclusion; if there is any line on which all of the premises are true while the conclusion is false, then the argument is invalid (and if not, it is valid).

What are the characteristics of invalid?

not valid; not founded in truth, fact, or logic, and hence weak and indefensible; unsound; untenable: The entire argument depends on an invalid assumption. deficient in effectiveness; inadequate: Self-perception is an invalid method of judging one's own biases.

What makes a proof valid?

The existence of such a proof shows that the conclusion follows logically from the premises, and therefore that the argument is valid. Here is a formal proof that the argument given above is valid. The propositions in the proof are numbered, and each proposition has a justification.

Analyzing an argument for validity

42 related questions found

What is a valid proof?

a valid proof is one that uses some form of logic (usually predicate logic) and uses logical rules of deduction and axioms or theorems in it's specific field to drive some new sentences that will eventually lead to the proposition we want to prove .

Can a proof be false?

In mathematics, certain kinds of mistaken proof are often exhibited, and sometimes collected, as illustrations of a concept called mathematical fallacy.

What is considered invalid?

An invalid is someone who is very ill or disabled and needs to be cared for by someone else. I hate being called an invalid. If an action, procedure, or document is invalid, it cannot be accepted, because it breaks the law or some official rule. The trial was stopped and the results declared invalid.

What makes you an invalid?

A person who is very sick or injured and needs frequent care is an invalid.

What is a simple way to determine if an argument is valid or invalid?

To judge if each is valid or invalid, ask the question, "If the premises are true, would we be locked in to accepting the conclusion?" If the answer is "yes," then the argument is valid. If the answer is "no," then the argument is invalid.

How to make a counterexample?

The "counterexample method" is a powerful way of exposing what is wrong with an argument that is invalid. If we want to proceed methodically, there are two steps: 1) Isolate the argument form; 2) Construct an argument with the same form that is obviously invalid. This is the counterexample.

What is a counterexample to an argument?

Definition: A counter-example to an argument is a situation which shows that the argument can have true premises and a false conclusion.

What is a counter example in philosophy?

In philosophy, counterexamples are usually used to argue that a certain philosophical position is wrong by showing that it does not apply in certain cases.

What are the examples of invalid?

Examples from Collins dictionaries

I hate being treated as an invalid. The trial was stopped and the results declared invalid. We cannot accept liability if you are refused entry because of invalid documents. We think that those arguments are rendered invalid by the hard facts on the ground.

How can you determine if the evidence is valid or not?

The criteria are:
  1. Currency: Timeliness of the information.
  2. Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs.
  3. Authority: Source of the information.
  4. Accuracy: Truthfulness and correctness of the information.
  5. Purpose: Reason the information exists.

What makes something reliable but not valid?

For example, if your scale is off by 5 lbs, it reads your weight every day with an excess of 5lbs. The scale is reliable because it consistently reports the same weight every day, but it is not valid because it adds 5lbs to your true weight. It is not a valid measure of your weight.

What is invalid in legal terms?

Definition: Invalid means something that is not legally binding or does not have a basis in fact. For example, an invalid contract is not a real contract and cannot be enforced.

How do you know if something is valid or invalid?

A deductive argument is said to be valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false. Otherwise, a deductive argument is said to be invalid.

What does it mean if something is invalid?

: not valid: a. : being without foundation or force in fact, truth, or law. an invalid assumption. declared the will invalid.

What is invalid evidence?

If the evidence does not meet standards of relevance, the privilege or public policy exists, the qualification of witnesses or the authentication of evidence is at issue, or the evidence is unlawfully gathered, then it is inadmissible.

What makes a document invalid?

These are some of the most common reasons: The subject of the contract is illegal. For example, if you sign a contract to launder money for an organized crime syndicate, but the other party breaches its terms, you have no legal recourse because the subject of the agreement was unlawful.

What are the characteristics of an invalid?

Invalid may refer to: Patient, a sick person. one who is confined to home or bed because of illness, disability or injury (sometimes considered a politically incorrect term)

Can you disprove a proof?

Not surprisingly, disproof is the opposite of proof so instead of showing that something is true, we must show that it is false. Any statement that makes inferences about a set of numbers can be disproved by finding a single example for which it does not work.

What is proof fallacy?

The burden of proof fallacy involves failing to support one's own assertion and challenging others to disprove it. Although the person making a claim is responsible for providing evidence for that claim, people often commit the burden of proof fallacy by passing that responsibility on to the opposition.

Is proof considered evidence?

The difference between evidence vs proof all comes down to whether or not something is completely proven to be true. Proof is conclusive; evidence is not necessarily conclusive. Evidence and proof are closely related. Proof comes from evidence.