Proof without words

Common card · No. 497067

In mathematics, a proof without words (or visual proof) is an illustration of an identity or mathematical statement which can be demonstrated as self-evident by a diagram without any accompanying explanatory text. Such proofs can be considered more elegant than formal or mathematically rigorous proofs due to their self-evident nature. When the diagram demonstrates a particular case of a general statement, to be a proof, it must be generalisable. A proof without words is not the same as a mathematical proof, because it omits the details of the logical argument it illustrates. However, it can provide valuable intuitions to the viewer that can help them formulate or better understand a true proof.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0