Theorem
A theorem is a statement that has been proved from the axioms and definitions of its subject. The word marks status, not difficulty: it means the argument has been written down and checked, not that the result is deep. Smaller results proved along the way to a theorem are usually called lemmas, and results that follow immediately from one are called corollaries.
Why it matters
It is the unit mathematics is stored in, so learning any branch mostly means learning which theorems it has and what they depend on.
Also written: theorems, lemma, corollary
Where it comes up
Read about Theorem on Wikipedia
Sources
- Theorem Wikipedia
- Mathematical proof WikipediaRead alongside the theorem article, since the two terms only make sense together.
