Thread: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

What is the basic difference between inductive and deductive reasoning?

How is deductive reasoning used to solve geometric proofs?

Do we use inductive reasoning in terms of geometric proofs?

If so, in what way?

Inductive reasoning begins with a final conclusion and then describes a thinking process of how to reach the conclusion, whereas deductive reasoning begins with a statement or series of statements from which we can draw conclusions, and then we continue to draw conclusions based upon the previous results to end with the final conclusion.

I think you can use both approaches to solve geometric problems, although it seems to me that the method of proof which is advocated in most high schools today is very deductive in nature.

Originally Posted by icemanfan

Inductive reasoning begins with a final conclusion and then describes a thinking process of how to reach the conclusion, whereas deductive reasoning begins with a statement or series of statements from which we can draw conclusions, and then we continue to draw conclusions based upon the previous results to end with the final conclusion.

I think you can use both approaches to solve geometric problems, although it seems to me that the method of proof which is advocated in most high schools today is very deductive in nature.

So, deductive reasoning is the way to go.