Proof by intimidation (or argumentum verbosum) is a

jocular A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh and is usually not meant to be interpreted literally. It usually takes the form of a story, often with dialogue, ...

phrase used mainly in

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

to refer to a specific form of hand-waving, whereby one attempts to advance an argument by marking it as obvious or

trivial Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. It can be contrasted with general knowledge and common sense. Latin Etymology The ancient Romans used the word ''triviae'' to describe where one road split or forked ...

, or by giving an argument loaded with jargon and obscure results. It attempts to intimidate the audience into simply accepting the result without evidence, by appealing to their ignorance and lack of understanding. The phrase is often used when the author is an authority in their field, presenting their proof to people who respect ''a priori'' the author's insistence of the validity of the proof, while in other cases, the author might simply claim that their statement is true because it is trivial or because they say so. Usage of this phrase is for the most part in good humour, though it can also appear in serious criticism. A proof by intimidation is often associated with phrases such as: * "Clearly..." * "It is self-evident that..." * "It can be easily shown that..." * "... does not warrant a proof." * "The proof is left as an exercise for the reader." Outside mathematics, "proof by intimidation" is also cited by critics of

junk science The expression junk science is used to describe scientific data, research, or analysis considered by the person using the phrase to be spurious or fraudulent. The concept is often invoked in political and legal contexts where facts and scientifi ...

, to describe cases in which

scientific evidence Scientific evidence is evidence that serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis, although scientists also use evidence in other ways, such as when applying theories to practical problems. "Discussions about empirical ev ...

is thrown aside in favour of dubious arguments—such as those presented to the public by articulate advocates who pose as experts in their field. In a memoir,

Gian-Carlo Rota Gian-Carlo Rota (April 27, 1932 – April 18, 1999) was an Italian-American mathematician and philosopher. He spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked in combinatorics, functional analysis, pro ...

claimed that the expression "proof by intimidation" was coined by

Mark Kac Mark Kac ( ; Polish: ''Marek Kac''; August 3, 1914 – October 26, 1984) was a Polish American mathematician. His main interest was probability theory. His question, " Can one hear the shape of a drum?" set off research into spectral theory, the ...

, to describe a technique used by

William Feller William "Vilim" Feller (July 7, 1906 – January 14, 1970), born Vilibald Srećko Feller, was a Croatian-American mathematician specializing in probability theory. Early life and education Feller was born in Zagreb to Ida Oemichen-Perc, a Croa ...

in his lectures:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Proof by intimidation Professional humor Mathematical proofs In-jokes Mathematical humor English phrases

See also

References